by Jeannine Miles

Created on: April 26, 2009

In the year 2008, about 565, 650 Americans were expected to be diagnosed and die of cancer. It's a disease that has affected millions of people; families and friends alike. In the U.S alone; cancer accounts for one out of every four deaths. With a disease this deadly, it's especially important to know what exactly cancer is.

HOW CANCER FORMS: Cancer is caused by abnormal or damaged cells. Cells naturally die when they become damaged; however, a cancer cell outlives a normal cell and duplicates itself. People can actually inherit damaged DNA, but this does not mean they have a cancer cell in their body. It takes numerous damaged cells to cause a cancer. After this happens, these damaged cells will usually form a tumor in the body. Cancer cells will eventually start to invade other tissues, causing more damage. However, cancer is always named for where it first started.

WHAT CAUSES CANCER? What exactly causes cancer to spread to our bodies is yet to be determined. There are factors; however, that contribute. Cancer is usually caused by something exposed to us through our environment. For example, smoking can put someone at a higher risk for developing cancer in their lifetime; even second hand smoke! For most cases, it is unclear where exactly the cancer came from. Living a healthier lifestyle will dramatically reduce a persons chances of developing cancer, even if people have an inherited tendency to develop it.

THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN CANCER: There are numerous types of cancer; and each and every one are different from the other. Some cancers, like colon cancer, progress at an alarmingly high rate, while others develop over a longer period of time. Chemotherapy is the most effective way of treating leukemia, while radiation is more effective for skin cancer and breast cancer.

PREVENTION: Although it's not always possible, there are ways to prevent certain types of cancers from invading the body. The American Cancer Society estimates that over 170,000 cancer deaths were caused by tobacco in the year 2008. Staying away from cigarettes will vastly improve your chances of never developing lung cancer. Also, over 500,000 deaths are linked specifically to obesity and malnutrition so changing an unhealthy lifestyle to a more active, healthy way of living will also aid in cancer prevention. Certain cancers are also directly linked to diseases such as hepatitis B, which could have prevented due to behavior changes and/or vaccines. Skin cancer is one of leading cancers in the nation, so staying away from indoor tanning beds is another recommendation. Although these tips are extremely helpful, this does not guarantee a person cancer free - a cure for cancer is yet to be discovered.

With cancer becoming more prominent in our nation, it's essential that we educate ourselves on the how it forms, what can cause it, and how we can keep ourselves, our family and our friends from falling victim to this terrible, deadly disease.

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