What is cancer?
Cancer is the name given to over 100 diseases which are all characterized by uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells. Normally, cells in our bodies reproduce in an orderly process known as cell division. Rapidly dividing abnormal cells can form tumors which can eventually invade healthy tissue and may spread to other parts of the body via the lymph system or blood stream.
Cancer is a mass of abnormal cells with uncontrolled growth. Tumors are either benign or malignant. Benign tumors usually grow very slowly and generally do not spread. Veterinarians can remove most of them. In the beginning, cancerous (malignant) tumors, usually stay in the organ where the cancer started. This is called localized disease. As cancers continue to grow, they are more likely to spread or metastasize into the lymph nodes or other organs such as the lungs, liver and spleen. The more advanced the cancer (the more the cancer has spread) the more difficult it is to control and cure. We usually cannot tell if a tumor is cancer until a biopsy test is done. A tiny piece of tissue is removed with a needle or by surgery. A special doctor called a pathologist studies the tissue under a microscope to see if it is cancer. Often, more tests are done on the tissue if it is cancer. These tests let the doctor know more about the cancer. This information guides treatment.
