Cancers

This chapter focuses on the pathophysiology of cancer before considering the incidence of cancer worldwide and in the UK. Cancer refers to a disease in which the normal control of cell division is lost so that an individual cell multiplies inappropriately to form a tumour that eventually spreads and causes death. Cancer can arise from the cells of different tissues and organs in the body, so there are many different types of cancer. The chapter shows that the causes of cancer in different parts of the body vary while referencing the impact of tobacco, alcohol, ionizing radiation and ultraviolet light on the body. It considers the epidemiological data linking diet with cancer.