Cancer is a broad term for diseases involving abnormal cell growth.

The various cells in the human body are each designed for a specific purpose, such as blood cells, skin cells, nerve cells, and many more. These cells grow and divide regularly. On occasion, mutated cells are created in the body—these cells do not serve their purpose and grow rapidly at an unregulated pace. When these cells, they are often first concentrated in the tissue they grow in: this concentrated mass becomes a tumor. This can occur in any part of the body, hence the variety of cancers.

Cancer begins to grow worse when abnormal cells no longer remain in the organ/system of origin. It may slowly spread to different parts of the body. (For more detailed information, see Stages of Cancer)

Causes and Origins

Some cancers can be hereditary, but this is a very small portion. Majority of cancers are caused by lifestyle factors, including diet and obesity, tobacco and alcohol use, as well as through environmental factors such as infections and pollution.

Main Reference: Wikipedia

Cancer in the Philippines

By Ina Amor-Mejia (June 23, 2014)

Cancer is now the third leading cause of death in the Philippines, and the leading cause of the death worldwide, with 8.2 million cancer deaths reported in 2012. Among Filipinos, the most common forms of cancer are cancers of the lung, breast, cervix, liver, colon and rectum, prostate, stomach, mouth, ovary and leukemias.

In a country where millions of people live below the poverty line, cancer is a catastrophic disease that takes an enormous physical, emotional, psychological and financial toll on patients and their families. Exacerbating the problem is the frequency of late-stage diagnoses of many cancers in the country, as those with the disease often ignore early symptoms or lack life- saving awareness.