What is cancer?

Your body is made up of millions of cells that do different jobs and behave in different ways. These divide to produce new healthy cells.

Cancer happens when an abnormal cell is produced. These abnormal cancer cells divide and grow quicker than normal cells. If they are not treated, these cells may spread to other parts of the body. The abnormal cells can form:

• Solid cancers – is when a lump forms for example on the bone, or brain
• Leukaemias or lymphomas – when the blood cells divide and multiply abnormally

Cancer is an old persons’ disease, right?

Obviously wrong. Cancer isn’t just one disease, but lots of diseases that affect children, young people and adults alike.

But the cancers in younger people are different to adults. They behave differently and tend to respond more positively to treatment. So don’t let people compare your cancer to their elderly aunt’s.

How is cancer treated?

The treatment you have depends on the type of cancer you have, where it is, and the stage it’s at.

You could have one treatment (the treatment plan is called a protocol) or a combination of:

Chemotherapy (aka chemo)

Uses cytoxic drugs (chemicals) to destroy the cancer cells. It sounds scarier than it is - you’ll be told about the drugs, their possible side-effects, how often you will have it, and how it will be given.

Surgery

You’ll have a general anaesthetic, so you’ll be out. For a lump or a tumour you may have a biopsy (a small piece of the tumour is removed and tested to see exactly what it is.)

The medical and nursing staff will tell you exactly what will happen well before the operation.

Radiotherapy

High-energy rays are targeted at the cancer cells, avoiding the normal cells. It is not painful, and lasts for a few minutes for each session. It is a bit like having an x-ray. The doctor and nurses will tell you in detail what will happen, and how long you will have the treatment for.

Bone marrow transplant

Your bone marrow makes your red blood cells. A bone marrow transplant is when you get new bone marrow (either from a donor or your own ‘cleaned up’ marrow).

This means you get new blood forming and new immune system. The doctor and nurses will tell you in detail what will happen, and how long you will be in hospital.