How is cancer best defined?

Cancer: An abnormal growth of cells which tend to proliferate in an uncontrolled way and, in some cases, to metastasize (spread). Cancer is not one disease. It is a group of more than 100 different and distinctive diseases. Cancer can involve any tissue of the body and have many different forms in each body area.

Why are cancers named according to their origin?

The origin of the word cancer is credited to the Greek physician Hippocrates (460-370 BC), who is considered the “Father of Medicine.” Hippocrates used the terms carcinos and carcinoma to describe non-ulcer forming and ulcer-forming tumors.

What is cancer named after or named for )?

The word “cancer” came from the father of medicine: Hippocrates, a Greek physician. Hippocrates used the Greek words carcinos and carcinoma to describe tumors, thus calling cancer “karkinos.”1 The Greek terms actually were words that were used to describe a crab, which Hippocrates thought a tumor resembled.

How do I tell my family I have cancer?

Telling people about the cancer

1. During the first conversation, introduce the subject gradually.
2. Tell them in the way that feels best for you.
3. Ask what they already know.
4. Give the information in small chunks.
5. Do not worry about silences.
6. Say what you need to say.
7. Be truthful.
8. Think about which issues are most important to you.

How are cancers named?

Cancer is named after the part of the body where it originated. When cancer spreads, it keeps this same name. For example, if kidney cancer spreads to the lungs, it is still kidney cancer, not lung cancer.

How are all cancers the same?

Each person’s cancer has a unique combination of genetic changes. As the cancer continues to grow, additional changes will occur. Even within the same tumor, different cells may have different genetic changes.

Why are cancers called cancer?

Origin of the word cancer In Greek, these words refer to a crab, most likely applied to the disease because the finger-like spreading projections from a cancer called to mind the shape of a crab. The Roman physician, Celsus (28-50 BC), later translated the Greek term into cancer, the Latin word for crab.

What does cancer mean in Greek?

Science Diction: The Origin Of The Word ‘Cancer’ Around 400 B.C., Hippocrates is said to have named masses of cancerous cells karkinos — Greek for crab.