What is Cancer?
There are a couple of key points about cancer:
- It is a disease of the cells
- There are hundreds of different types
- There are different treatments for each type
- Each cancer and its treatment is different because each person is different
- Adjusting to life with cancer can be tough – both for people who have been diagnosed, and their families and friends.
Our bodies are made up of billions of cells – they’re basically like building blocks. Cells are constantly dying and so our bodies are constantly producing new ones to replace them. This production of new cells allows us to grow, to replace worn-out cells and to heal after an injury. Cell production is a process that’s controlled by certain genes. And that’s why cancer is such a problem. It starts in the genes – and so it can cause cells to behave abnormally. When cells are affected by cancer, they don’t grow and multiply as they should. Instead of dying and being replaced by normal cells, they go a bit beserk and can grow uncontrollably, sometimes taking over normal healthy cells. This kind of crazy growth can result in a tumour.
An abnormal lump of cells can be
- benign (non-cancerous) or
- malignant (cancerous)
Normal Cells
- Reproduce themselves exactly and at the right time
- Destroy themselves if they become damaged
- Stick together at the right place
- Become specialised or mature
Cancer Cells
- Don’t stop reproducing
- Don’t obey signals
- They don’t stick together
- Don’t become mature cells
There are over 200 different types of cancers. Some are more common in young people than adults, and some more so in men than women.
While they might differ in terms of treatment and recovery, all cancers have some things in common:
- Something goes haywire in the DNA of your cells, sometimes for no known reason, and they become cancerous
- The malignant (cancerous) cells crowd out your good cells.
Therefore, the goal of treatment is to destroy the bad cells and make room for new healthy, good cells.
- Abnormal cancer cells can be treated, destroyed and killed.
- There’s heaps of information about cancer and treatments available if you want to find out more.
- You are not alone! There are many young people out there living with cancer who can support you – not to mention support groups like CanTeen.
- Treating cancer can be a long, tedious and sometimes painful process.
- Hospitals can be boring (and they smell weird!)
- Adjusting to life with cancer can be tough – both for people who have been diagnosed, and their families and friends.