It can affect almost any part of the body. The disease seldom issues clear and obvious warnings. There is no general test that can definitely rule out all possibility of cancer. Most of the causes of cancer are not know, and we tend to feel helpless when facing a mysterious adversary. What Is Cancer Cancer is a disease in which abnormal cells in some organ or tissue go out of control, growing and increasing in numbers.
Normal cells reproduce themselves throughout life, but in a orderly and controlled manner.
Normal growth occurs, worn out tissues are replaced and wounds heal. When cells grow out of control and form a mass, the mass is called a tumour. Some tumours grow and enlarge only at the site where they began and these are called benign tumours. Other tumours not only enlarge locally but also have the potential to invade and destroy the normal tissue around them and to spread to distant parts of the body. Each year, more then 17,000 Canadian women will develop breast cancer.