Cancer can be a scary diagnosis. More than one million people will be diagnosed with cancer this year. One out of every two American men will be diagnosed with cancer and one out of every three women will have a cancer diagnosis in their life. Anyone can get cancer at any time in their life, however, the American Cancer Society reports 77% of all cancer is diagnosed in people 55 years of age and older. The rate of cancer differs among different groups and ethnicities.

So, what is cancer? "Cancer" describes a group of diseases, including lung cancer, breast cancer or leukemia. Each type of cancer is different in the way it spreads through the body and how it is treated, however, it is always a disease affecting the body’s cells.

Cancer changes cells so they cannot do their normal jobs. Healthy cells divide and grow quickly in young people helping them grow, whereas adult cells on divide to replace worn-out and dying cells and to repair injuries. A cell becomes cancerous because of damage to its DNA. A healthy cell will repair damaged DNA or it will die, but a cancerous cell will create new cells with DNA damage. The original DNA damage can be caused by known factors, such as smoking or family history, but are often caused by unknown factors. A group of damaged cells that multiply and crowd out healthy cells is called a tumor.

There are two types of tumors – benign and malignant. A benign tumor will crowd out healthy cells, but will not spread to other parts of the body. Few benign tumors are life threatening, however they can cause discomfort by putting pressure on healthy organs.

Malignant tumors are cancerous and cause for concern. They crowd out healthy cells like benign tumors, but can also spread throughout the rest of the body. When cancerous cells spread through the bloodstream or lymph vessels, it is called metastasis. While the cancer can spread through a patient’s body, it is not contagious to others.

Cancer is diagnosed by looking at affected cells under a microscope. A physician removes cells from suspected cancer sites with a biopsy; then a pathologist will look at the cells under a microscope to determine if cancer is present. If cancer is found, other tests will follow the biopsy, including X-rays and CT scans.

The sooner cancer is found, the more likely it can be cured. Regular screening is important for everyone, but people with higher risks factors need to be screened more often. Risk factors include family history, use of tobacco products, abuse of alcohol, consumption of a high fat diet and exposure to cancer causing chemicals. Talk with your doctor to determine your risk factors, how often you should be screened and whether there are any specific cancers of which you should be more aware in your family.