What is a tumor and what is cancer?

A tumor is an abnormal mass of tissue, usually made up of a clump of cells that have grown and divided abnormally. It can be either benign (non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous). Benign tumors are not cancer and may or may not pose any serious health risk, depending on the type and location in the body.

Cancer is a group of diseases characterized by uncontrolled cell growth. A tumor begins when changes to certain genes within a single cell cause it to divide uncontrollably and form a lump or mass called a tumor. As cancer cells grow, they can spread beyond the original site to other parts of the body where they can form new tumors. This process is known as metastasis, which means that cancer has spread from one part to another – making it more difficult to treat effectively once metastasis occurs.

There are many different types of cancers caused by various factors including heredity, lifestyle choices such as smoking or excessive sun exposure, environmental hazards like pollutants or radiation exposure, viral infections such as those with HPV (human papilloma virus), aging etc... Treatment options depend on the specific type and stage of cancer present but commonly includes surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy and immunotherapy among others. Prevention for some types of cancers includes lifestyle changes such as avoiding smoking/alcohol consumption/sun exposure etc., maintaining healthy weight through diet/exercise regular screening tests for early detection etc...