Why does cancer appear and what are its dangers

Oncological diseases are considered one of the main problems of our century. The number of diagnosed cases is constantly increasing, and, in addition, the age of patients is decreasing.

The term "cancer" itself is not very correct. It refers to a whole complex of various diseases, the basis of which is a violation of the normal functioning of the cells of one or more organs. The first cases of cancer were described as far back as Ancient Egypt, but scientists believe that cancer has always existed in humans and animals.

The process of cell division is constantly taking place in our body. Sometimes mistakes happen - this is an inevitable reality. But very rarely, such "broken" cells begin to divide and then a tumor develops. In the vast majority of cases, cells with genetic defects do not divide and are destroyed by the immune system.

In order for the "defective" cell to start dividing, two critical mutations must occur in it, affecting the mechanism of division and apoptosis-programmed death. In this way, cancer cells get the opportunity to divide and at the same time are not destroyed by internal mechanisms.

But even if such a process has occurred, the immune system can still work. And the main problem is that cancer cells are able not only to deceive the immune system, but also to make it work for themselves, using the lymphatic system to spread throughout the body.

Why exactly cancer occurs is still unknown. Its main causes are considered to be bad habits, poor nutrition, lack of physical activity, stress, some chronic diseases, inflammatory processes and natural aging of the body - this explains the fact that the vast majority of oncological diseases occur in older people. Genetic factors also play a role in this process.

The biggest danger of cancer is that the tumor can progress very quickly. Some types of cancer develop over years and can be stopped with early diagnosis, but there are also diseases that develop in a matter of days. For example, these include acute leukemias. The second danger is the spread of cancer throughout the body. If the tumor is localized in one organ, the chances of victory are much higher than with the spread of metastases.