Cancer is a word used to describe a group of diseases. Each one has its own name. For example: skin cancer, lung cancer, and breast cancer. Each has its own type of treatment and chance of being cured.

The organs and tissues of the body are made up of tiny building blocks called cells. All cancers are a disease of the body’s cells. In healthy tissue these cells replace or repair themselves when they get worn out or injured. Where there is cancer, the cells do not behave as normal and keep on growing even when they don’t need to.

These abnormal cells can form a tumour. Tumours can either be benign or malignant. Benign tumours do not spread to other parts of the body so are not called cancer. Malignant tumours are made up of cancer cells that can spread from where they started and can go on to damage other tissues and organs. This may happen when a cell or group of cells breaks away and travels through the blood stream or lymphatic vessels to form a new tumour somewhere else in the body. This is called a metastasis or secondary tumour.

Cancer is a disease of the cells of the body.

Where there is cancer, the cells do not behave as normal and keep on growing in number even though they don’t need to.

If a tumour is malignant cells can break away and be carried by the blood stream or lymph glands to form a new tumour somewhere else. This is called a metastasis or secondary tumour