What is Cancer?

Cancer is a group of many related diseases. All forms of cancer involve out-of-control growth and spread of abnormal cells. Cancer cells continue to grow and divide and can spread to other parts of the body. These cells accumulate and form tumors. They may compress, invade, and destroy normal tissue. If cells break away from a tumor, they can travel through the bloodstream or the lymph system to other areas of the body. There, they may settle and form “colony” tumors. In their new location, the cancer cells continue growing. The spread of a tumor to a new site is called metastasis. Leukemia, a form of cancer, does not usually form a tumor. Instead, these cancer cells involve the blood and blood-forming organs (bone marrow, lymphatic system, and spleen). They circulate through other tissues where they can accumulate. Cancer is classified by the part of the body in which it began, and by its appearance under a microscope. Different types of cancer vary in their rates of growth, patterns of spread, and responses to different types of treatment.

Symptom or Sign?.

A symptom is an indication of disease, illness, injury, or that something is not right in the body. Symptoms can be felt or noticed by a patient, but usually not easily observed by anyone else.

A sign is also an indication of illness, injury, or that something is not right in the body. Signs are defined as observations made by a physician, nurse or other healthcare professional.

Prevention and Risk Factors:

A large majority of cases of Brain and Spinal Cancer are not associated with any risk factors. The few risk factors that are known are radiation, immune system problems, and family history. Radiation is the only known and the proved risk that can cause cancer. Also, people with impaired immune systems have an increased risk of developing lymphomas of the brain or spinal cord.

Brain and spinal cord cancer cannot be prevented because most cases of this cancer occur for no apparent reason.