• Bleeding or occult blood loss causing anemia

• Pressure causing pain or dysfunction

• Cosmetic changes

• Itching

• 'Hormonal syndromes' resulting from hormones secreted by the tumor

• Obstruction, e.g., of the intestines

• Compression of blood vessels or vital organs

Many benign tumors do not need to be treated at all. If a benign tumor is causing symptoms, presents a health risk, or causes a cosmetic concern хвилювання for the patient, surgery is usually the most effective approach. Most benign tumors do not respond to chemotherapy or radiation therapy, although there are exceptions.

A malignant tumour is cancerous; it is the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells anywhere in a body. The abnormal cells are termed cancer cells, malignant cells, or tumor cells. Many cancers and the abnormal cells that compose the cancer tissue are further identified by the name of the tissue that the abnormal cells originated from (for example, breast cancer, lung cancer, colon cancer). Cancer is not confined to humans; animals and other living organisms can get cancer. Frequently, cancer cells can break away from this original mass of cells, travel through the blood and lymph systems, and lodge in other organs where they can again repeat the uncontrolled growth cycle. This process of cancer cells leaving an area and growing in another body area is termed metastatic spread or metastatic disease. For example, if breast cancer cells spread to a bone (or anywhere else), it means that the individual has metastatic breast cancer.

There are over 200 types of cancers; most can fit into the following categories according to the National Cancer Institute:

• Carcinoma: Cancer that begins in the skin or in tissues that line or cover internal organs.

• Sarcoma: Cancer that begins in bone, cartilage, fat, muscle, blood vessels, or other connective or supportive tissue.

• Leukemia: Cancer that starts in blood-forming tissue such as the bone marrow and causes large numbers of abnormal blood cells to be produced and enter the blood.

• Lymphoma and myeloma: Cancers that begin in the cells of the immune system.

• Central nervous system cancers: Cancers that begin in the tissues of the brain and spinal cord.

The three most common cancers in men, women and children in the U.S. are as follows:

• Men: Prostate, lung, and colorectal

• Women: Breast, colorectal, and lung

• Children: Leukemia, brain tumors, and lymphoma

The incidence of cancer and cancer types are influenced by many factors such as age, sex, race, local environmental factors, diet, and genetics. Consequently, the incidence of cancer and cancer types vary depending on these variable factors.

Scientists have not yet pinpointed an exact cause for cancer. There is no one single cause that is responsible for all cancers. However, many factors have been identified that are likely to lead to the development of cancer in the body. These are called "risk factors for cancer" A risk factor is anything that raises a person's chance of getting a disease over a certain period of time.

Cancer specialists use different treatments to get rid of позбутися cancer - primarily: surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy and biotherapy. Depending on what type of cancer people have, they could have one kind of treatment or a combination of treatments. Others treatments for cancer include hormonal drugs, mainly in treating breast and prostate cancer, antibody treatment, which targets the surface of cancer cells with certain features, and blood stem cell transplant.

Treatment choices for a person with cancer depend on three things:

1. the type of cancer and location of tumour

2. the stage of the tumour (meaning if it has spread and how far)

3. the patient's age and general health

Treatments for cancer sometimes cause unwanted side effects such as hair loss, nausea, and weakness.

Destroying cancer cells brings about a remission, which is a period of time when the cancer is under control or when all the signs and symptoms of the cancer disappear. Complete remissions may continue for years and be considered cures. If the disease returns, another remission often can occur with further treatment.