What is cancer?

Dr. Saima Saeed is a hematologist/ oncologist practicing at Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center

Question:  What is cancer?

Answer:  Cancer develops when cells in our bodies grow out of control. Instead of dying, they outlive normal cells and  form new abnormal cells. Cancer cells can travel to other areas of the body where they begin to grow and replace normal tissue. This is called metastasis. Regardless of where a cancer may spread, however, it is always named for the place it began. For example, colon cancer that spreads to the liver is still called colon cancer, not liver cancer. Different types of cancer can behave very differently. For example, colon cancer and breast cancer are very different diseases. They grow at different rates and respond to different treatments. This is why people with cancer need treatment that is targeted to their particular kind of cancer.