Cutaneous Warts

All multicellular organisms are made up of millions of cells. Under physiological conditions, the cells usually behave in a specific biological manner to sustain a normal healthy life. However, due to the genetic alteration, once a cell has turned cancerous, it divides unanimously until a tumor mass is formed. A tumor mass may be solid or fluid-filled but is quite different from inflammatory or other swellings. Sometimes, the term tumor and cancer are used interchangeably, which can be misleading, but medical science has made it clear that all tumors are not cancerous. Broadly, tumors are classified according to their nature of growth and aggressiveness as benign (noncancerous) and malignant (cancerous) tumors. The initiation of tumor development is the same for both benign and malignant tumors, such as single-cell mutation, but the metastatic potential of tumors always raises a red flag. Seven hallmark changes in cellular physiology collectively determine the malignant phenotype. Altogether, cancer development is a multistep process that involves hyperplasia, dysplasia, carcinoma in situ, invasive carcinoma, and metastasis. Metastasis is the key process that enables cancer cells to escape and migrate from the primary tumor to other locations of the body and form a new tumor (secondary tumor). However, for growth and survival, cancer cells stimulate angiogenesis and vasculogenesis to access nutrients and oxygen supply and the removal of waste products. This chapter will provide basic information about the disease - “cancer.”