What is Cancer

• Cancer is a group of diseases that occur when cells become abnormal and divide without control or order.

• Every organ in the body is made up of various kinds of cells. Cells normally divide in an orderly way to produce more cells only when they are needed. This process helps to keep the body healthy.

• If cells divide when new cells are not needed, they form too much tissue. The mass or lump of extra tissue, which is called a tumor, can be benign or malignant.

• Benign tumors are not cancer. They can usually be removed, and in most cases, they don’t come back. Most important, the cells in benign tumors do not invade other tissues and do not spread to other parts of the body. Benign breast tumors are not life threatening.

• Malignant tumors are cancer. The cancer cells grow and divide out of control. They can invade and damage nearby tissues and organs. Also, cancer cells can break away from a malignant tumor and enter the bloodstream. That is how breast cancer spreads and forms secondary tumors in other parts of the body. The spread of cancer is called metastasis.

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