Difference between tumor and cancer
Not all tumors are cancer.
Tumors that are not cancerous are called “benign” and can cause problems such as overgrowth and pressure on other healthy organs and tissues.
However, they cannot invade other tissues and organs – which is why they do not metastasize, which is the spread of cells to other parts of the body.
Cancer
Cancer is the generic name given to a set of more than 100 diseases that have in common the abnormal and disordered growth of cells that invade tissues and organs and can spread to other regions of the body.
The human body is made up of millions of cells that reproduce through a process called cell division. Under normal conditions, this process is ordered and controlled – and is responsible for the formation, growth and regeneration of healthy body tissues.
Cancer starts when cells in some organ or tissue in the body lose their ability to control their own growth and start to grow disorderly.
The science that studies cancer is called Oncology, and the oncologist is the professional who treats the disease.
The different types of cancer correspond to the various types of cells in the body and can be grouped into categories. Are they: