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MEDIA FACTSHEET
CANCER EXPLAINED
What is cancer?
Cancer is a disease which occurs when changes in a group of normal cells within the body
lead to uncontrolled growth causing a lump called a tumour; this is true of all cancers except
leukaemia (cancer of the blood)
...
Tumours (lumps) can be benign or malignant
...
They tend to grow quite
slowly, do not spread to other parts of the body and are usually made up of cells quite
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similar to normal / healthy cells
...
Cells of malignant tumours can break off from
the main (primary) tumour and spread to other parts of the body through a process known
as metastasis
...
These secondary sites are known as metastases and the condition is referred to as
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metastatic cancer
Cancer can be classified according to the following categories:
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•
Carcinoma – A cancer that arises from the epithelial cells (the lining of cells that helps
protect or enclose organs)
...
The most common
forms of cancer in this group are breast, prostate, lung and colon cancer
•
Sarcoma – A type of malignant tumour of the bone or soft tissue (fat, muscle, blood
vessels, nerves and other connective tissues that support and surround organs)
...
The two main forms are non-Hodgkin’s which
begins with uncontrolled growth of the - white blood cells -lymphocytes - of the immune
system) and Hodgkin’s lymphoma in which cells of the lymph nodes become cancerous
•
Leukaemia - Leukaemia is a cancer of the white blood cells and bone marrow, the tissue
that forms blood cells
...
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...
org
Causes
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There are about 200 known types of cancer
...
•
Cancer-causing substances (carcinogens) - Genes are coded messages inside a cell
that tell it how to behave (i
...
which proteins to make)
...
For example, a mutation may
mean that too much protein is made, or that protein is not made at all
...
Something that damages a cell, changing its behaviour and makes it more likely to be
cancerous is called a 'carcinogen'
•
Age – Many types of cancer become more prevalent with age
...
This does not mean developing cancer is
guaranteed, but a genetic predisposition makes the disease more likely
...
However, less than 5% of all breast cancer is known
to be due to genes
...
This is true of other common cancers where some people
have a genetic predisposition - for example, colon (large bowel) cancer
The immune system - People who have weakened immune systems are more at risk of
developing some types of cancer
...
Lifestyle and environmental causes are to a large extent controllable or
avoidable
...
Many people eat too much red and
processed meat and not enough fresh fruit and vegetables
...
Overweight or obese people have an increased risk of bowel and pancreatic cancer,
probably due to a tendency towards higher insulin levels
...
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...
org
•
Alcohol - The evidence that all types of alcoholic drinks are a cause of a number of
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cancers is now stronger than ever before
...
Even moderate
alcohol intake increases the risk of cancer
•
Tobacco – Tobacco smoke contains at least 80 different cancer-causing substances
(carcinogenic agents)
...
This is why smoking or
chewing tobacco not only causes lung cancer and mouth cancers, but is also related to
many other cancers
...
The main risk is however, prolonged and unprotected exposure to ultraviolet
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radiations from the sun which can lead to melanoma and skin malignancies
...
For example, workers in the chemical dye industry have
been found to have a higher incidence than normal of bladder cancer
...
However, this
does not mean that these cancers can be caught like an infection; rather the virus can
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cause changes in cells that make them more likely to become cancerous
o
Examples include cervical cancer, linked to the Human Papilloma Virus,
primary liver cancer which can be caused by the Hepatitis B and C virus and
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lymphomas linked to the Epstein-Barr virus
o
Bacterial infections have not been thought of as cancer causing agents in the
past
...
However, there are some key signs and symptoms , including:
•
Lumps – some cancers can be felt through the skin
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org
•
Bleeding – any unexpected bleeding can be a sign of cancer:
o Bleeding from the anal passage may be a sign of bowel cancer
o Bleeding from the cervix may be a sign of cervical cancer
o Blood present in the urine may be a sign of kidney or bladder cancer
•
Unexplained weight loss – a large amount of unexplained weight loss over a short
period of time (a couple of months) can be a sign of cancer
•
Fatigue - fatigue is extreme tiredness and a severe lack of energy
...
Cancer kills more people on a
global scale than AIDS, malaria and TB combined
...
The incidence of cancer is highest in developed countries, particularly in Northern America,
Australia and New Zealand and in Northern and Western Europe
...
More than 70% of all cancer deaths already
occur in low- and middle-income countries and these regions are projected to account for two10
thirds of all cases of cancer worldwide by 2050 (an increase of 15% since 1975)
...
4 million deaths in 2008), stomach cancer (740,000 deaths in
2008), liver cancer (700,000 deaths in 2008), colorectal cancer (610,000 deaths in 2008), and
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breast cancer (460,000 deaths in 2008)
...
Currently it is
estimated that the disease costs economies across the world an estimated $290 billion in
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2010 - $154 billion of which were medical costs
...
The number of cancer cases and related
deaths worldwide is estimated to double over the next 20-40 years
...
Worryingly, it is expected that by 2030:
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• There will be 12 million cancer deaths per year
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• The global costs of cancer are estimated to rise to 458 billion
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The rising burden of cancer across the world can be linked to a number of factors including:
• Expanding and ageing populations
• Increases in modifiable risk factors (smoking, western diet and physical inactivity)
• Higher incidences of cancers related to preventable or treatable infections (particularly in
developing countries)
Union for International Cancer Control • Union Internationale Contre le Cancer
62 route de Frontenex • 1207 Geneva • Switzerland • Tel
...
org • uicc
...
Preventative
measures such as vaccination programmes against HBV and HPV and public education
campaigns are vital now, and in the future, to mitigate the expected increase of people
affected by cancer in the coming decades
...
Implementation
of screening programmes to identify pre-cancer or early stage cancer are crucial in the fight
against the disease in both developed and developing countries
...
In addition, public education
campaigns are needed across the world to tackle the cancer epidemic by helping people
recognise the early signs of disease and encourage the seeking of prompt medical attention
...
For more information, please contact:
UICC Press Relations
Laura Korgaonkar
Email: Laura
...
com
Tel: 0044 7985 540 319
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Medical News Today - What is Cancer? Available from:
http://www
...
com/info/cancer-‐oncology/whatiscancer
...
Last accessed January
2013
National Cancer Institute
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cancer
...
Available from:
http://info
...
org/healthyliving/smokingandtobacco/
...
Available from: http://cancerhelp
...
org/about-‐cancer/what-‐is-‐
cancer/cells/types-‐of-‐cells-‐and-‐cancer
...
Available from: http://www
...
org/cancer_prevention/recommendations/alcohol_and_cancer
...
Last accessed January 2013
Cancer Research UK
...
cancerresearchuk
...
Last accessed January 2013
American Cancer Society
...
cancer
...
Last accessed January 2013
Union for International Cancer Control • Union Internationale Contre le Cancer
62 route de Frontenex • 1207 Geneva • Switzerland • Tel
...
org • uicc
...
Available from: http://www
...
org
...
Last accessed January 2013
Macmillan Cancer Support
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macmillan
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uk/Cancerinformation/Cancerinformation
...
Last accessed January 2013
Bray, F
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Predicting the future burden of cancer
...
Rev
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2006 6:63-74
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Cancer Factsheet
...
who
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world-‐heart-‐
federation
...
...
Available from: http://www
...
int/cancer/en/
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+41 (0)22 809 1811 • Fax +41 (0)22 809 1810 • info@uicc
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org