Our bodies are made of small structures called cells, which can only be seen through a microscope. Several cells from tissues and organs, such as liver, brain, kidneys or lungs, each with a different function. Normally, our cells divide and multiply by themselves, ensuring the growth and repairing of body tissues. A disease can interfere with this normal cycle in a variety of ways.
Tumors
Sometimes there is an abnormal cell growth, causing a tumor or a swelling. Tumors that do not extend to other areas are called benign. Once they are treated, sometimes through surgery, they do not cause other problems.
Cancers are malignant tumors that begin in a similar way to benign tumors, but they spread to other organs and tissues. The area where malignant tumors are originated is called primary cancer. The further spread is known as secondary cancer or metastasis.
How Cancer Develops
Cancer starts developing from a single cell. A cell can turn cancerous in several ways:
? It starts to divide and doesn't have a safety catch to end the dividing process so it continues indefinitely.
? It becomes unable to identify damage to DNA or repair that damage, so it carries on living with it.
? It becomes unable to perceive neighboring cells and interact with them the normal way.
The proteins that help control the dividing process sometimes become dysfunctional. This may lead to cells starting to behave atypically an and multiply incontrollable. When they are multiplying too much, they can form a lump, which is characteristic too many types of cancer, including breast cancer.
How Cancer Spreads
There are two transport systems that go through our body: the blood system and the lymphatic system. The lymph usually helps the body to fight infections. Breast cancer can sometimes spread to lymph nodes. Actually, the way these lymph nodes evolve is a good indicator for whether the cancer is likely to return or not.
Breast cancer cells break away from the lump and move to surrounding tissues. Eventually, they are carried by the bloodstream and lymphatic system to other body parts. There they can develop into new tumors, which are called “secondaries” or “metastases”.
Secondary Breast Cancer
Secondary cancer is the stage when breast cancer cells have moved to other body parts also and formed new tumors. It is also called metastasis.
In breast cancer, the spread commonly occurs to liver, bones or lungs. The primary cancer is located in the breast. The secondary cancer is breast cancer as well, but it has evolved to invading other parts of the body and forming tumors there. When this happens, the cancer can no longer be cure. However, with good medication, it can be controlled for a long period of time.
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