1. WHAT IS CANCER?
Zenaida Almodovar 8th Grade Unity Middle School
Livestrong at School Questions and Answers About Cancer

2. WHAT IS CANCER?
• Cancer is a group of more than 100 related diseases that
begin in cells, the body’s basic building blocks. The body
is made up of many types of cells. N
• Normally, cells grow and divide to produce more cells as
they are needed to keep the body healthy. Sometimes,
this process goes wrong.
• Then, new cells from when the body does not need them,
and old cells do not die when they should.
• Cancer is not contagious.

3. WHAT IS A ?
or growth is when the extra cells from a mass of tissue.
• Not all tumors are cancerous, tumors can be benign. or malignant
Benign Malignant
It is not cancer.
It can be removed through a minor surgery
and in most cases they do not come back.
It will stop growing.
It is cancer.
Cells in malignant tumors are abnormal and
divide without control or order. Cancer cells
are invade and destroy the tissue around
them.
Moving widespread is metastasis get away
from tumor and get into blood or lymph
nodes.

4. WHAT CAUSES CANCER?
• Cancer is caused by changes in genes that normally control the growth and death of
cells. We do not know the cause of all types of cancer.
• Gene change are inherited from one or both parents. For instance, 50% chance of
getting breast cancer if one parent came down with it.
• Lifestyle and environmental factors can change normal genes that allow the growth of
cancer.
• Tobacco use
• Diet
• Exposure of the sun
• Exposure of carcinogens (cancer-causing substances) in the environment. Such as
pesticides, virus, bacteria, etc.
• Radiation such as x-rays in a dentist office.

5. CANCER BEGINS
• It starts 1/20 of the width of a piece of a hair.
• Million cells clumped to the size of a pinhead.
• Billion cells can be seen but it’s 2 1/2 years size of a grape.
• Biopsy is the process of the removal piece of a tissue from
the tumor.
• Then it sent to the laboratory for testing.

6. CAN CANCER BE PREVENTED?
• People can reduce their risk (chance) of developing some types of cancer by:
Types of Prevention
Not using tobacco products, such as cigarettes or chewing tobacco.
Choosing foods with less fat and by eating more vegetables, fruits and whole grains: High fat
intake (1/3 cancer death) (correlation with fat intake and cancer death)
Exercising regularly and maintaining a healthy weight
Avoiding the harmful rays of the sun, using sunscreen and wearing clothing that protects the skin.
Avoiding the harmful rays of the sun, using sunscreen and wearing clothing that protects the skin.
Talking with a doctor about the possible benefits of taking drugs that may reduce the risk of
certain cancers.

7. WHO GETS CANCER?
• The age of 55
• 10.5 million cancer survivors living in the United States.
• Second leading cause of death in this country.
• 77% of all cancers are diagnosed in people over the age of 55.
• About .014 of children under the age of 15 are diagnosed with cancer each year.
• About 64% of all people diagnosed with cancer will be alive 5 years of diagnosis.

8. WHAT TYPE OF CANCER IS THE
MOST COMMON?
• Skin cancer is the most common of all cancers.
• Why?
• Each year, there is 600,000 new skin cancer (dark or multi-colored skin,
changing in size not same all over.
• Sunlight exposure is by far the most significant risk factor for several types of
skin cancer.
• Prevention to reduce the harmful effects of excessive sun exposure:
• Avoid sun exposure at peak hours of the day
(10 a.m. to 2 p.m.)
• Wearing protective hats and clothing.
• Proper use of sunscreen

9. WHAT TYPE OF CANCER CAUSES THE
MOST DEATH?
• Lung Cancer is the number one cancer killer in the United
States among both men and women.
• Cigarette smoking causes 82% of these deaths as well as
deaths from several other types of cancer.
• Smoking is responsible for more than 400,000 deaths each
year in the United States.
• Worst genetic damage to lungs were youngest smokers (when
they started at a young age)
• Lung were not fully developed – more susceptible to long-
term damage.

10. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE COMMON
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF CANCER?
• Symptoms or side effects
• New thickening or lump in the breast of any part of the body
• New Mole or an obvious change in the appearance of an existing wart or mole
• A sore that does not heal
• Nagging cough or hoarseness
• Changes in bowel or bladder habits
• Persistent indigestion or difficulty swallowing
• Unexplained weight loss or weight gain
• Unusual bleeding or discharge

11. HOW IS CANCER TREATED?
Surgery is an operation to remove cancer Radiation Therapy
Radiotherapy: Uses high-enery rays to kill cancer
cells in a targeted area of the body. Side effects:
nausea, hard to swallow
Chemotherapy:
Is the use of drugs that kill cancer cells throughout
the body. Healthy cells can also be harmed. The
doctor may one drug or a combination of drugs.
Fatigue, poor appetite, nausea and vomiting,
diarrhea, and mouth and lip sores. Hair loos is a
common side effect of chemotherapy.
Hormone Therapy:
It is used to treat certain cancers that depend on
hormones for their growth. It works by keeping
cancer cells from getting or using hormones they
need to grow. Another ovaries may be removed to
treat breast cancer or the testicles may be removed
to treat prostrate cancer.
Biological Therapy: It the usage of body’s own
immune system to fight disease and to lessen some
of the side effects of cancer treatment.

12. WHO SMOKES CIGARETTES?
• The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that 42 million were
cigarette smokers in 2012. That is 18% of all adults. A bit under 1 in 5 people.
Race/Ethnicity Numbers
Whites 19.7%
African Americans 18.1%
Hispanics 12.5%
American Indians/Alaska Natives 21.8%
Asian Americans 10.7%
Multi-racial people 26.1%

13. HIGH SCHOOL AND MIDDLE
SCHOOL STUDENTS
• Nationwide, 14% of high school students were smoking cigarettes in 2012.
• 13% of them are smoking cigars most of which are now small, filtered and sold in
packs just like cigarettes.
• Kids like them because they cost less and can have chocolate, fruit and other candy
flavors
• Middle school students – 4% were smoking cigarettes, and nearly 3% smoked cigars