How does cancer start?
Genes in our cells contain coded instructions to control the way our cells grow and mature. They are handed down from one generation to the next. If certain genes are damaged or changed, they can affect the way our cells grow and develop.
The body has its own natural way of defending itself, called the immune system. This protects us from what is foreign (or does not come from the normal body), such as infections with germs or viruses. When our cells change and start multiplying in an uncontrolled way, our immune system can also intervene and eliminate those abnormal cells.
But when this normal, corrective system fails, it can lead to cancer. Cancer is the disease caused when abnormal cells multiply out of control and escape from our immune system’s checking process.
How do we get cancer?
Some cancers are caused by unhealthy behaviors such as smoking or eating an unbalanced diet or drinking too much alcohol. Other causes may be environmental factors and viruses. Many causes are still unknown or have not yet been studied.
Inherited genes may also increase the risk of developing a certain type of cancer (for example, some women inherit a gene that makes them more likely to develop breast cancer).
Many types of cancer
There are around 200 different types of cancer. There are two main groups of cancer: solid and non-solid. “Solid” means that a tumor starts from a specific organ - the breast, for example in breast cancer. “Non-solid” cancers do not start from a specific organ but from blood cells and blood-forming tissue such as the bone marrow, which causes large numbers of abnormal blood cells to spread into the blood circulation.
When tumors continue to develop, they start to attack nearby organs. Cancer cells may also break away from the tumor and attack other parts of the body. This spread of cancer cells from one part of the body to another is called “metastasis”.
If these cancer cells spread to certain organs that we need to survive, they can damage the normal functioning of these organs and may eventually be fatal.
Working for better cancer treatment
Modern science is making great progress in the treatment of cancer, especially when the disease is identified early. Many types of cancer can be cured and patients go on to enjoy a normal life after being treated for cancer.
But cancer still affects too many people and current treatments are too harsh for individuals and their families. New treatments are needed, both to cure more patients of more types of cancer and to improve the quality of life of patients undergoing cancer treatment. Clinical studies play a vital role in developing these new treatments and making them available to patients.
