About Cancer

Anyone, at any time, can be affected by cancer. Cancer is not one particular disease but rather a group of diseases in which abnormal cells grow in an irregular way.  In Minnesota alone, more than 20,000 people annually are diagnosed with cancer each year.

The human body is made of billions of normal cells that are like the bricks and mortar of a building. Each tiny cell has a specific job to do, whether it's relaying messages to the brain, digesting food or pumping blood.

Normal cells grow and divide in an orderly fashion and respect the boundaries of neighboring cells. A cancer usually develops from a normal cell that has changed or mutated. The change may have occurred because of a virus, chemical, or radiation injury, a family predisposition, or unknown causes. This abnormal cell grows without following the rules that directed it. Some cancers grow quickly, others grow slowly. As the cancer grows, it can invade normal organs causing normal body functions to be compromised or stopped. Tumors can squeeze organs or block passages. This will eventually cause symptoms or problems.