About Cancer

The body is made up of millions of cells.
There are about 200 different types of cells which all do different jobs, have different shapes, and behave in different ways: for example, a muscle cell is different from a bone cell, which is different to a skin cell etc.
New cells are made to help the body grow or repair old worn-out cells.
Some cells will carry on dividing throughout life, however, if something goes wrong when they are dividing so that an abnormal cell is produced, this cell will divide again and again making more and more abnormal cells. These abnormal cells are the cancer cells.
Cancer cells tend to divide and grow quicker than normal cells.
Malignant means the abnormal cells are able to spread to other parts of the body if they are not treated.

There are two main types of cancer:
1. SOLID CANCERS (Tumours) - When a lump forms, eg. The bone cells, muscle cells or brain cells, etc. divide and multiply abnormally.
2. LEUKAEMIAS and LYMPHOMAS - When the blood cells divide and multiply abnormally.

There are a number of ways in which cancer can be treated:
· CHEMOTHERAPY
· RADIOTHERAPY
· SURGERY

The treatment depends on the type of cancer and the stage that it has reached. The patient may receive one treatment, a combination or all three of these different types of treatments. The plan of treatment is called a PROTOCOL.

FACTS:
· Cancer cannot be caught from anyone else.
· Cancer is not contagiuos.
· It is unknown why some people develop Cancer and others don’t.
· Cancer is NOT caused by anything we have done or said.
· Cancer is also found in animals and plants