In the United States, it accounts for one out of every four deaths. Today, over eight million Americans are living with cancer, and 1.2 million are newly diagnosed with this disease each year. At some point in their lives, a third of American women and half of American men will be diagnosed with some form of cancer. All forms are caused by the growth of abnormal cells within the body. Destructive masses called malignant tumors are formed.
Cancers can originate in almost any cell of the body.
Different types of cancer respond to different forms of treatment. Thus, it is crucial that cancer be diagnosed correctly. This predicts the behavior or aggressiveness of the cancer, which is used to select the most effective form of treatment. With over a hundred different forms, cancers are divided into broad categories based on the cell type from which they started. Each distinct cell line in the human body, when malignant, gives rise to a different kind of cancer.