What is Cancer?

Cancer is an abnormal and uncontrolled division of cells which are able to invade and damage the organ in which they develop and also invade other organs in their vicinity. Cancer cells can also spread to other parts of the body through blood. Apparently, it is difficult to identify the reasons behind cancer. However, certain risk-factors like smoking, chewing tobacco etc. are known to increase the chances of one getting cancer. The substances, excessive exposure of which can lead to cancer are called carcinogens.

What causes Cancer?

  • If you smoke or chew tobacco, you are more likely to develop cancer of the lung, mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder and pancreas. Smoking is thought to cause about a quarter of all cancers. The heavier you smoke, the greater is the risk. If you stop smoking, your risk goes down considerably
  • Exposure to chemicals like asbestos, benzene, formaldehydene etc increases the risk of developing cancer like urinary bladder cancer, lung cancer and skin cancer. For example, a cancer called mesothelioma is linked to post-exposure to asbestos