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Cancer is a disease that will strike one out of
three people during their lifetimes. While most people are familiar
with the word ‘cancer' and the disease in general, many know very
little about the different types of cancer, how it can be prevented and
treated, and what kind of support is available when cancer strikes.
Cancer is a term that covers a complex of
diseases. Basically, cancer occurs when certain cells in the body
change and begin multiplying out of control. It usually appears in the
form of a lump called a malignant tumor .
As the tumor grows, it attacks and destroys the
healthy tissue within and around it. The cells of the tumor can also
break off from the tumor and spread to other parts of the body where
they continue to grow, creating new areas of cancer. The tumor
developed in this way is called metastasis .
Not every lump is cancer, and not every type of cancer creates a lump;
leukemia (cancer of the blood), for example, does not form a tumor.
About 80% of tumors prove to be benign (not cancer).
Nobody is immune to cancer. It is important to
remember that once it appears, it will not go away on its own - it must
be treated immediately and seriously .
Cancer can be cured, especially when
diagnosed early and before it has spread to other parts of the body.
However, any delay in treatment can have serious consequences. Cancer
treatment is most often provided in specialized hospitals, called oncological centers . (To see what cancer treatment facilities are available in Serbia, go to www.onk.ns.ac.yu , the website of the Institute of Oncology in Sremska Kamenica.) |
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