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Cancer is a group of diseases involving damage to genes that regulate normal cellgrowth.
Cancer can occur in skin,
moles,
the skeleton,
brain,
thyroid,
esophagus,
stomach,
bladder,
liver,
lungs,
pancreas,
intestines,
kidneys,
***,
the bladder
female and male reproductive organs
Cancr may occur in allmost all organs
Cancer can occur in blood
Blood transports oxygen from the lungs to the body
and returns carbondioxyde back to the lungs where it is exhaled
Cancer can also occur in the lymphatic system
Lymphatic functions include cleansing lymph,
preventing inflamation
and removing harmful foreign elements.
This takes place in the lymph nodes. The largest accumulations of which are found in the abdomen
groin,
armpits,
and neck.
In this example we will view cancer cells spreading from a primary tumor in the colon.
The tumor may breach the intestinal wall,
possibly invading neighbouring organs.
Cancer is dependant on a rich supply of blood in order to grow.
This process is called angiogenesis.
Cancer cells can liberate from the primary tumor, and enter the blood stream.
Most cancer cells are identified by the immune system and destroyed.
However, some can survive the journey and establish secondary sites in other sites,
such as the liver.
The successful migration of cancer cells and resulting tumor
is known as metastasis.
These subsequent tumors can also contribute to further metastasis
There is considerable variation in the metastatic pattern of individual cancer types.
Cancer normally spreads to the regional lymph nodes,
those closest to the primary tumor.
In this case, cells migrate with the lymph, to nearby lymph nodes, where they attach.
When this occurs in nodes close to the body surface,
they can be felt through the skin as coarse, enlarged, nodules.
Metastasis often occurs in the liver or lungs.
There are significant differences between for example
primary lung tumors,
and lung tumors that are a result in spreading from other organs.
This has important implications regarding treatment and survival.
Every instance of cancer is therefore carefully examined
before prescribing the appropriate treatment.
For more information, please visit www.oncolex.org.