What's cancer?
Although initially this seems like a simple question, the term is actually quite difficult to define. Cancer usually refers to an abnormal invasive growth of tissues that is uncoordinated with the function of surrounding tissues caused by genetical changes. It is also commonly used to describe the disease which is caused by these growths. The word cancer actually originates from the greek for crab, Hippocrates was the first to use this word to describe cancerous growths due to the finger like growths cancerous cells cause. Cancer describes a particular type of abnormal growth of tissues, however many terms commonly used in describing cancers are not necessarily synonymous, this includes words such as; Tumours Neoplasia carcinoma There are also many types of abnormal growths which may not necessarily be cancer; Hyperplasia Hypertrophy Dysplasia Benign neoplasia Malignant neoplasia So what are the differences between these terms? How...