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Cancer[]
A disease of cellular proliferation that is malignant and primary, characterized by uncontrolled cellular proliferation, local cell invasion and metastasis.
For other uses, see Cancer (disambiguation).
| Cancer | |
|---|---|
| Synonyms | malignant tumor, malignant neoplasm |
| A coronal CT scan showing a malignant mesothelioma Legend: → tumor ←, ✱ central pleural effusion, 1 & 3 lungs, 2 spine, 4 ribs, 5 aorta, 6 spleen, 7 & 8 kidneys, 9 liver. | |
| Pronunciation | i/ˈkænsər/ |
| Classification and external resources | |
| Specialty | Oncology |
| ICD-10 | C00—C97 |
| ICD-9-CM | 140—239 |
| DiseasesDB | 28843 |
| MedlinePlus | 001289 |
| MeSH | D009369 |
| [edit on Wikidata] | |
Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body.[1][2] Not all tumors are cancerous; benign tumors do not spread to other parts of the body.[2]Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal bleeding, prolonged cough, unexplained weight loss and a change in bowel movements.[3] While these symptoms may indicate cancer, they may have other causes.[3] Over 100 types of cancers affect humans.[2]
Tobacco use is the cause of about 22% of cancer deaths.[1] Another 10% is due to obesity, poor diet, lack of physical activity and drinking alcohol.[1][4] Other factors include certain infections, exposure to ionizing radiation and environmental pollutants.[5] In the developing world nearly