Cancer begins when there are changes to the cell DNA. These changes cause damage to the genetic material of the cell and this is known as genetic mutation. Genetic mutations can cause cells to become cancerous. Cancerous cells may grow and form a lump or tumor.

Cells are tiny building blocks that make up the body’s organs and tissues.  In a healthy body, normal cells are programmed to die once their work is done. Other cells grow and divide in order to replace damaged and dead cells.  This is a natural process controlled by the body.

Cells that have damaged DNA are abnormal and can disrupt the natural growth and multiplication of cells which are controlled by the body. As a result the abnormal cells keep dividing and making more abnormal cells which may form a lump or a tumor. Normal cells do not grow as fast as cancerous cells.

Cancer is not an event but a process that takes time, often years to develop. The period with which it develops depends on the identity, order and speed at which the abnormal cells accumulate.