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What is Cancer?
Reading time: 2 min
Cancer explained in first person
Professionals and patients explain how you live with the disease
Cancer | PortalCLÍNIC
I am sure that the future will bring more medications, and procedures to treat the vast majority of disease cancers.
Álvaro Urbano
Hematologist
Cancer explained in a first person ...
It is all bearable. The chemotherapy really is hard, but I thought it would be worse.
Ana
Patient
The term cancer encompasses a very large group of illnesses that are all characterised by abnormal cell growth; cancer cells divide and grow in an uncontrolled manner and in any part of the body.
Cells normally grow and divide to form new cells as, and when, the body requires them. When a normal cell ages or is damaged, it dies and is replaced by a new cell. In the case of cancer, however, the body loses control over this highly ordered process. As the cells become increasingly abnormal, the old or damaged cells survive instead of dying and new cells develop when they are not required. This uninterrupted cell division forms masses, otherwise known as tumours.
How does Cancer develop?
Cancer has its origin in the genes that are responsible for controlling the reproduction of cells. This genetic origin can be hereditary or due to changes that occur in the structure of genes throughout life, either spontaneously or due to the impact of environmental factors that affect the structure of genes.
Cancer cells differ from healthy ones by presenting molecular alterations that cause modifications in their normal functioning. That is, the normal process of cell growth and death is disrupted, causing uncontrolled cell division with an excess of cells that accumulate in the body and create tumors.
In the case of benign tumours, there is an increase in the number of cells, but they continue to have a normal structure and function.
Malignant tumours can spread to nearby tissues. Some cells can grow in neighbouring organs beyond where the initial tumour developed, spreading by means of blood vessels or the lymphatic system. This process is called metastasis.
What is Cancer?
Living with the disease
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Substantiated information by:
Albert Tuca Rodríguez
Oncologist
Paliative Care Support Unit
Aleix Prat Aparicio
Oncologist
Oncology Department
Francesc Balaguer Prunes
Gastroenterologist
Gastroenterology Department
Meritxell Mollà Armandà
Radiation Oncologist
Radiation Oncology Department
Montserrat Valverde Bosch
Nurse
Hematology Department
Vanessa Vilas
Clinical Psychologist
Psychiatry and Clinical Psychology Department
Álvaro Urbano Ispizua
Hematologist
Hematology Department
Published: 12 November 2018
Updated: 20 November 2018
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