Pathophysiology of the Malignant Process

Pathophysiology of the Malignant Process

Cancer is a disease process that begins when an abnormal cell is transformed by the genetic mutation of the cellular DNA. This abnormal cell forms a clone and begins to proliferate abnormally, ignoring  growth-regulating  signals  in  the  environment  surrounding the cell. The cells acquire invasive characteristics, and changes occur in surrounding tissues. The cells infiltrate these tisues and gain access to lymph and blood vessels, which carry the cells to other areas of the body. This phenomenon is called metastasis (cancer spread to other parts of the body). Cancer is not a single disease with a single cause; rather, it is a group of distinct diseases with different causes, manifestations, treatments, and prognoses.