How Breast Cancer Cells Grow & Strive

Cancer cells need nutrients to accelerate their growth and for them to remain active. New blood vessels are formed, several remain open, and inactive vessels come alive as they are provided nutrients which keep them striving.

Cancer begins in cells, the building block of tissues. Tissues make up the organs of the body. Normal cells grow and divide to form new cells as the body needs them. When cells grow old they die and new cells replace them. Sometimes this orderly process goes wrong. New cells form when the body does not need them, and old cells do not die when they should. These extra cells form a mass of tissue that forms a mass or tumor. Tumors can be benign or malignant.

Benign Tumors:
     *are not cancer
     *can be removed & usually don't grow back
     *do not invade tissue around them
     *cells from benign tumors do not spread to other parts of the body

Malignant Tumors:
     *are Cancer
     *may be life threatening & more serious than benign tumors
     *can be removed, may grow back
     *cells from malignant tumors damage nearby tissues and organs
     *can metasize to other parts of the body by breaking off the original tumor and enter the bloodstream and/or lymphatic system and can damage other organs by forming new tumors

Metastasis is the spread of cancer. Most often when breast cancer cells spread they spread to the lymph nodes near the breast. Breast cancer can spread to other parts oft he body. The most places it spreads are the liver, bones, lungs and brain. The newly spread tumor has the same name, not the name of new location of the organ. It becomes metastasis disease or 'distant' disease.



References:
National Institute of Health
Dr.Christine Northup.MD