Patients are participating in cancer research around the world

What is cancer?

Cancer is a general term used to describe cells that grow abnormally and form a tumour. As cancerous cells can arise from almost any type of cell, cancer actually refers to about 100 different diseases. Cancer occurs when certain and important genes are affected by changes called mutations. These affected genes typically oversee cell growth or cell death, and these mutations often lead to cells multiplying in an uncontrolled manner - creating the tumour.

Symptoms depend on the type of cancer and often, if left untreated, these cells have the potential to spread to other parts of the body, such as the bone, brain and liver (metastasis). Once the cancer has spread, it becomes more difficult to treat and may interfere with the functioning of other affected organs.

How cancer is diagnosed and treated depends on the type of cancer. Some cancers have a number of treatment strategies, such as surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and targeted therapies. Unfortunately, for some cancers, options can be limited.