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Cancer is a group of related diseases in which some of the body's cells divide without stopping and spread into surrounding tissue.
How cancer starts
Normally, the body makes new cells as it needs them, and they replace old cells that die. In cancer, that process breaks down: new cells form when they aren't needed, and old cells don't die when they should. The extra cells can form a tumor.
| Tumor | |
|---|---|
| Benign | not cancer |
| Malignant | cancer — the cells can invade nearby tissue, and can break away and spread to other parts of the body |
How it's different in children
Children can get cancer in the same parts of the body as adults, but there are differences:
- childhood cancers may appear suddenly, without early symptoms
- some types can often be cured
Common childhood cancers
| Leukemia | the most common |
| Brain tumors | among the other more common types |
| Lymphoma | |
| Soft tissue sarcoma |
Treatment
Symptoms and treatment depend on the type of cancer and how advanced it is. Treatment may include:
- surgery
- radiation therapy
- chemotherapy
- stem cell transplants
- targeted therapy — drugs or other substances that attack specific cancer cells while doing less harm to normal cells
Sources
Based on "Cancer in Children," MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine, with a summary from the National Cancer Institute (NIH); a work of the United States government in the public domain.
Licens: CC0 1.0 (allmän egendom) · Bearbetat efter medlineplus.gov
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