What is cancer?                    

Cancer describes a range of diseases in which abnormal cells proliferate and spread out of control. Other terms for cancer are tumours and neoplasms, although these terms can also be used for non-cancerous growths. Normally, cells grow and multiply in an orderly way to form tissues and organs that have a specific function in the body. Occasionally, however, cells multiply in an uncontrolled way after being affected by a carcinogen, or after developing from a random genetic mutation, and form a mass which is called a tumour or neoplasm. Tumours can be benign (not a cancer) or malignant (a cancer). Benign tumours do not invade other tissues or spread to other parts of the body, although they can expand to interfere with healthy structures. In 2004 there were 101 registered deaths from benign tumours.