Cancer

What is cancer?

Cancer occurs when cells become abnormal and multiply out of control. Different cells in the different parts of the body when multiplied cause different cancers.

Some grow and spread more quickly than others and some are easier to treat than others, particularly if diagnosed at an early stage.

Treatments can vary - some respond to chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or other treatments, while some may need surgery.

Some cancers have a better outlook (prognosis) than others - having a very good chance of being cured. For some types of cancer, the outlook is much poorer and therefore these have to be managed in a different way.

So, each cancer is different and behaves differently. We cannot put 'cancer' into one box. In each case it is important to know exactly what type of cancer has developed, how large it has become, whether it has spread and how well the particular type of cancer responds to various treatments. This will enable you to get reliable information on treatment options and outlook.

Patient picks for Information about cancer

Cancer

Can your diet reduce the risk of cancer?

The good news – we’re living longer than ever. The down side is that as we live longer, up to half of us are likely to get cancer. You can’t guarantee avoiding it, but research suggests simple diet changes could improve your odds.

by Dr Sarah Jarvis MBE, FRCGP

Cancer

Stages of cancer

If left untreated, cancers often go through three stages: local growth, spread to lymph channels and spread to other areas of the body.

by Dr Toni Hazell