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Cancer is really a group of diseases. There are many different types of cancer, one of which is cancer of the prostate gland.
Normal human cells divide and grow in an orderly way; this helps to keep the body in good repair. Sometimes these normal cells begin to divide too rapidly. This uncontrolled cell growth forms a mass, or tumor. Tumors may sometimes cause pain, but usually don't when they are small.
Some tumors are "benign," which means they are not cancerous, do not spread to other parts of the body, and are usually not life-threatening.
Cancerous tumors are called "malignant". They can invade nearby tissues and organs. Cancer cells can spread, or "metastasize," throughout the body and form new tumors. This is why it is important to find a malignant tumor as early as possible, when the cancer may be most treatable. |