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Cancer is the uncontrolled growth of cells. These cells were at one time normal healthy cells but have mutated to become abnormal cells. These cells undergo rapid proliferation (copying) with out the normal check points to ensure that copies are needed and made properly.


These cells continue to grow until a large mass of proliferating cells is found, this is a tumor. Tumors recruit their own blood supply and tend to take up many of they bodies nutrients making it harder for your body to have what it needs to fight it off.


Eventually the tumor can reach a size so large that it can actually crowd out your vital organs making it nearly impossible for them to continue doing their normal functions. For example. All of your internal organs are sensitive to pressure, especially your heart. If a mass of cells began to restrict the space the heart needs to function normally then the heart can no longer do it's job and the patient dies.


Often Cancer can metastasis as well. Metastasis is when cells stop being only in a clump of tumor and begin migrating through out the body and will eventually form new tumors where they end up. Metastasized tumors have a very poor prognosis due to all the locations that new tumors will form.

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15y ago

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