Bali Healthy Lifestyles

Cancer begins in cells, the building blocks that make up tissues. Tissues make up the organs of the body.

Normally, cells grow and divide to form new cells as the body needs them. When cells grow old, they die, and new cells take their place.

Sometimes this orderly process goes wrong. New cells form when the body does not need them, and old cells do not die when they should die. These extra cells can form a mass of tissue called a growth or tumor.

Tumors can be benign or malignant:

• Benign tumors are not cancer:

1. Benign tumors are rarely life threatening.
   1. Usually, benign tumors can be removed / excluded, and they seldom grow back.
   2. Cells from benign tumors do not invade tissues around them or spread to other parts of the body.

• Malignant tumors are cancer:

1. Malignant tumors are generally more serious than benign tumors. They may be life threatening.
   1. Malignant tumors often can be removed / excluded, but they can grow again.
   2. Cells from malignant tumors can invade and damage tissues and organs nearby. Also, cancer cells can spread from a malignant tumor and enter the bloodstream or lymphatic system (lymph nodes). That is how cancer cells spread from the original cancer (primary tumor) to form new tumors in other organs. The spread of cancer is called metastasis.

Comments are closed.