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

Less survivable cancers are more likely to have late diagnoses

The six less survivable cancers make up around half of all cancer deaths in the UK. However, these cancers are far more likely not to be diagnosed until they have reached later stages. Survival rates could significantly improve if there is more public awareness of symptoms and better diagnostic tools for GPs.

by Amberley Davis

Cancer

Types of cancer

There are more than 100 different types of cancer. Each type is classified by the type of cell the cancer originates from.

by Dr Hayley Willacy, FRCGP