Cancer is the name for a group of diseases. Normally your body cells grow, divide, and die in a timely and orderly fashion. Cancer happens when abnormal cells start to grow out of control and are able to invade other tissues.
Here are some facts about cancer:
- There are more than 100 different types of cancer
- All cancers begin in your body’s cells
- Cancer cells can spread into other parts of the body
- Untreated cancers can cause serious illness and even death
- The most common types of cancers are:
- Breast cancer
- Leukemia
- Lung cancer
- Prostate cancer
- Skin cancer
- Colon cancer
It is important to remember that not all tumors are cancer. These tumors are called benign and are almost never life threatening, but can grow very large.
Combat Cancer
The best way to combat cancer is to stay healthy by being physically active, eating well, and talking with your health care provider about cancer screening tests.