As cancer cells continue to grow and divide, they accrue more mutations, are less able to function as normal cells and displace healthy cells.
Benign growths or tumors are usually noted by adding the ending "-oma." For example, adenoma would be a benign growth of the adrenal cortex, a hormone-producing group of cells near the kidney. Malignant tumors are noted by adding "sarcoma" or "carcinoma." A malignancy of the adrenal cortex is an adrenal cortical carcinoma. Bone cancer is osteosarcoma.
When a cancer spreads from its primary location, it is renamed metastatic cancer. Metastatic cancer has the same name and the same type of cancer cells as the original cancer. For example, breast cancer that spreads to and forms a metastatic tumor in the lung is metastatic breast cancer, not lung cancer.
Incidence of Cancer
Global Incidence
In 2012, about 14 million new cases of cancer worldwide were identified. Although total cancer incidence (number of new cases diagnosed in a year) is divided roughly equally between men and women, the types of cancer are not. Not surprisingly, men experience higher rates of prostate cancer, while women experience higher rates of breast cancer. Both experience high rates of lung and colorectal cancer.7
Causes of Cancer
A wide range of chemical and physical agents, both natural and human-generated, may cause cancer. Exposure to sunlight, background radiation, natural and manufactured chemicals and even oxygen can damage our DNA and result in cancer.
content from ToxipediaVarious hormones are implicated in organ-specific cancer, such as breast cancer. Nutrition and diet, and specifically high caloric intake, also appear to be related to cancer, as are other lifestyle choices including tobacco use and alcohol consumption.
Certain viruses, such as the Epstein-Barr, AIDS and papilloma viruses, are known to contribute to cancer risk. Natural toxins from fungi, animals and plants may also be implicated: the grain contaminant aflatoxin B1 is known to cause liver cancer, for example.
Finally, genetics play a role, such as the known contributions of the BRCA1/BRCA2 genes in breast cancer.
Our focus is on chemical and other toxicant contributors to cancer.