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Cancer – A general term for more
than 250 diseases characterized by
abnormal and uncontrolled
growth of cells.
Cancer cells grow and divide
without control or order, and
they do not die when they
should. As a result, they often
form a mass of tissue called a
tumor.
Tumor – Mass of built-up tissue,
when cell development is not
orderly and controlled,
abnormal growth occurs
 Benign tumor- non-cancerous growth that does not
spread to other parts of the body- it can be treated
with removal and not likely to recur
 Malignant tumor- a growth of cancer cells-invades
neighboring tissues and organs spreads to other parts
of the body through blood or lymph to start new
cancers in other parts of the body
 As the tumor grows, it can invade nearby tissues
and organs.
 The spread of cancer is called metastasis
 Cancer cells break away from the tumor and
enter the bloodstream or the lymphatic
system. By moving through the
bloodstream or lymphatic system, cancer
cells can spread from the primary site to
lymph nodes or to other organs, where they
may form new tumors.
Warning Signs of Cancer
CAUTION
 Change in bowel or bladder habits
 A sore that doesn’t heal
 Unusual bleeding or discharge
 Thickening or a lump anywhere in the
body
 Indigestion or difficulty in swallowing
 Obvious change in a wart or mole
 Nagging cough or hoarseness
Identify Cancer Stages
 Exams and tests are performed to learn
the extent of the cancer within the
body, especially whether the disease
has spread from the original site to
other parts of the body. It is important
to know the stage of the disease in
order to plan the best treatment.
Common Elements Considered in
the staging system:
 Site of the primary tumor.
 Tumor size and number of tumors.
 Lymph node involvement (spread of cancer
into lymph nodes).
 Cell type and tumor grade (how closely the
cancer resembles normal tissue cells)
 The presence or absence of metastasis.
Stages
 Stage 0
Carcinoma in situ.
 Stage I, Stage II, and Stage III
Higher numbers
indicate more extensive disease: Larger tumor size
and/or spread of the cancer beyond the organ in which
it first developed to nearby lymph nodes and/or organs
adjacent to the location of the primary tumor.
 Stage IV The cancer has spread to another organ(s).
GENERAL CANCER TERMS
 Carcinomas – Cancer that begins in the skin
or in tissues that line or cover internal
organs
 Sarcomas –A cancer of the bone, cartilage,
fat, muscle, blood vessels, or other
connective or supportive tissue.
Melanoma
 Malignant tumor of melanocytes which produce the
coloring substance of the skin
 Symptoms-Darkening or change in color, or increase in
size of a mole, may begin as a new mole like growth
usually blackish or brown
Leukemia
 A disorder in blood cell production in which abnormal
white blood cells accumulate in the blood and bone
marrow
 Symptoms- the lymph nodes, spleen and liver become
in-filtered with white blood cells and become
enlarged. Bone pain, paleness, tendency to bleed or
bruise easy, fatigue, and frequent infections
Breast Cancer
 Cancer that forms in tissues of the breast, usually the
ducts and lobules. It occurs in both men and women,
although male breast cancer is rare.
 Symptoms: A lump or thickening in or near the breast;
a change in the size or shape of the breast; a nipple
turned inward into the breast; discharge from the
nipple; scaly, red, or swollen skin on the breast.
Prostate Cancer
 Cancer that forms in tissues of the prostate. Prostate
cancer usually occurs in older men.
 A person with prostate cancer may not have any
symptoms. If they do have symptoms the common
symptoms include: urinary problems; blood in the
urine or semen; frequent pain in the lower back, hips,
or upper thighs.
Bone cancer (sarcomas)- tumor can
appears in bone around knee and
joints
 Four leading cancer killers
 Male
 1. Lung
 2. Prostate
 3. Colon
 4. Pancreas
Females
1. Lung
2. Breast
3. Colon
4. Ovarian
Three main treatments for cancer
 1) Surgery
 2) Radiation therapy
 3) Chemotherapy
 Radiation attacking cancer cells with rays from cobalt,
radium or other radioactive substances usually done in a
series
 Chemotherapy – very powerful drugs that kill cells in the
system and causes patients to feel sick