Cancer

Cancer is a disease of the cells in the body. There are many different types of cancer which arise from relating to problems with different types of cell.

What all types of cancer have in common is that the cancer cells are abnormal and multiply out of control. However, there are often great differences between different types of cancer. For example:

• Some grow and spread more quickly than others.
• Some are more easy to treat than others, particularly if diagnosed at an early stage.
• Some respond much better than others to chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or other treatments.
• Some have a better outlook (prognosis) than others. For some types of cancer there is a very good chance of being cured. For some types of cancer, the outlook is poor.

So, cancer is not just one condition. In each case it is important to know exactly what type of cancer has developed, how large it has become, whether it has spread, and how well the particular type of cancer responds to various treatments. This will enable you to get reliable information on treatment options and outlook.

 The five most common cancers in the UK are:

• breast,
• lung,
• prostate,
• bowel.
• skin cancer