When normal cells are damaged beyond repair, they are eliminated by apoptosis.  Cancer cells avoid apoptosis and continue to multiply in an unregulated manner.Cancers are caused by a series of mutations.  Each mutation alters the behavior of the cell somewhat.Tissue can be organized in a continuous spectrum from normal to cancer.The incidence of lung cancer is highly correlated with smoking. Source:NIH.
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Cancer

Cancer is a class of diseases characterized by uncontrolled division of cells and the ability of these cells to invade other tissues, either by direct growth into adjacent tissue (invasion) or by implantation into distant sites (metastasis). This unregulated growth is caused by damage to DNA, resulting in mutations to genes that control cell division. Several mutations may be required to transform a normal cell into a malignant cell. These mutations are often caused by chemicals or physical agents called carcinogens. Some mutations occur spontaneously, or they can be inherited (germ line mutations.) more...

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Cancer can cause many different symptoms, depending on the site and character of the malignancy and whether there is metastasis. Cancer may be painless. A definitive diagnosis usually requires the histologic examination of tissue by a pathologist. This tissue is obtained by biopsy or surgery. Once diagnosed, cancer is usually treated with surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation.

If untreated, cancers may eventually cause death. Cancer is mainly a disease of later years, and is one of the leading causes of death in developed countries. Most cancers can be treated and many cured, especially if treatment begins early. Many forms of cancer are associated with exposure to environmental factors, such as tobacco smoking, alcohol, and certain viruses. Some of these can be avoidable, and public health and vaccination programmes are important on a global scale.

History

Hippocrates described several kinds of cancers. He called benign tumours oncos, Greek for swelling, and malignant tumours carcinos, Greek for crab or crayfish. This strange choice of name probably comes from the appearance of the cut surface of a solid malignant tumour, with a roundish hard center surrounded by pointy projections, vaguely resembling the silhouette of a crab. He later added the suffix -oma, Greek for swelling, giving the name carcinoma. Today, carcinoma is the medical term for a malignant tumour derived from epithelial cells. It is Celsus who translated carcinos into the latin cancer, also meaning crab. Galen used "oncos" to describe all tumours, the root for the modern word oncology.

Classification and nomenclature

Cancers are classified by the type of cell that resembles the tumor and, therefore, the tissue presumed to be the origin of the tumor. The following general categories are usually accepted:

  • Carcinoma: malignant tumors derived from epithelial cells. This group represent the most common cancers, including the common forms of breast, prostate, lung and colon cancer.
  • Lymphoma and Leukemia: malignant tumors derived from blood and bone marrow cells
  • Sarcoma: malignant tumors derived from connective tissue, or mesenchymal cells
  • Mesothelioma: tumors derived from the mesothelial cells lining the peritoneum and the pleura.
  • Glioma: tumors derived from brain cells
  • germ cell tumours: tumors derived from germ cells, normally found in the testicle and ovary
  • Choriocarcinoma: malignant tumors derived from the placenta

Malignant tumors are usually named using the Latin or Greek root of the organ as a prefix and the above category name as the suffix. For instance, a malignant tumor of liver cells is called hepatocarcinoma; a malignant tumor of the fat cells is called liposarcoma. For common cancers, the English organ name is used. For instance, the most common type of breast cancer is called ductal carcinoma of the breast or mammary ductal carcinoma. Here, the adjective ductal refers to the appearance of the cancer under the microscope, resembling normal breast ducts.

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A Q&A on breast cancer recurrence
From Ebony, 10/1/05

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women, according to the American Cancer Society. There are currently more than 2 million women living in the U.S. who have been diagnosed with the disease. Edith P. Mitchell, M.D., clinical professor of medicine of the division of medical oncology at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia talked with EBONY about breast cancer recurrence and treatment options for women who have fought--and continue to fight--to survive.

Q: How common is it for breast cancer to recur?

A: There is between a 20 to 50 percent risk that breast cancer can come back. However, with early screening and taking treatment after surgery, we find fewer recurrences from breast cancer.

Q: Where in the breast does breast cancer usually recur?

A. Recurrence does not usually recur in the breast. The primary management of breast cancer usually eliminates cancer from the chest wall and from the breast itself. Recurrences usually occur in other areas such as the bones, the lungs, the liver or the brain.

Q: When is recurrence likely to happen?

A: Women's risk of recurrence is highest in the five years immediately following diagnosis, peaking within the first three years. Yet recurrences can occur many years after the initial treatment of breast cancer.

Q: What increases the possibility of breast cancer returning?

A: By far, the most important predictive factor is whether or not there is the spread of tumor or cancer to lymph nodes under the arm. Other risk factors include the size of the tumor. Then you have to look at the presence or absence of hormonal receptors on the breast cancer. Tumors that have high levels of either estrogen or progesterone receptors have a decreased chance of recurrence.

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