Cancer Basics

Cancer is . . .

. . . the presence of a tumor (unnatural growth of tissue) that comes from cells dividing out of control

How do doctors describe different cancers?

1. Where it’s located in the body Carcinoma – tumor is found in tissue that has

some kind of contact with the outside world (surfaces both inside and outside the body)

Sarcomas – tumors of supportive/connective tissue like muscle and bone

Leukemias, lymphomas, and myelomas – cancers of the bone marrow, blood cells, and lymphatic tissue

Tumor Grading

How do the cancer cells look compared to normal cells in the area?

Breast cancer example

Metastasis: tumor on the move

Cancer stage: how far has it spread?Stage Condition

1 Tumor is microscopic2 Tumor is papable (can be felt)3 Tumor is starting to grow outside of

the original organ4 Tumor has metastasized to nearby

lymph nodes and the rest of the body

Remission

Not so fast . . .

Breast cancer occ