Ask the Cancer Information Service

General Cancer Questions

Q: A lot of people in my family died from cancer. What should I avoid so that I don’t get cancer too?

A: You can’t change your family history, but you can protect yourself by staying away from known risk factors whenever you can.

• Tobacco—Don’t use tobacco products and avoid being around tobacco smoke.
• Sunlight—Don’t spend too much time in the sun, don’t use sunlamps and don’t go to tanning booths.
• Alcohol—Don’t have more than one or two drinks per day.
• Cancer-causing substances—Avoid contact with substances like asbestos and benzene.
• Ionizing radiation—Avoid being exposed to radiation from unneeded x-rays.
• If you think you may be at risk for cancer, talk to your doctor. Ask how you can reduce your risk and about tests and exams that can detect cancer early.

For more information about cancer, call the Cancer Information Service at 1–800–4–CANCER. If you want help quitting smoking, call the NCI’s Smoking Quitline at 1–877–44U–QUIT.

Q: What is cancer?

A: Cancer is a group of related diseases that begin in cells, the building blocks that form tissues. Tissues make up the organs of the body.

Normally, cells grow and divide to form new cells as the body needs them. When cells grow old, they die. New cells take their place.

Sometimes, this process goes wrong. New cells form when the body does not need them. Old cells do not die when they should. These extra cells can form a mass of tissue called a growth or tumor. Tumors can be benign or malignant.

Benign tumors are not cancer

• Benign tumors are rarely life-threatening.
• Most benign tumors can be removed. They usually do not grow back.
• Cells from benign tumors do not invade the tissues around them.
• Cells from benign tumors do not spread to other parts of the body.

Malignant tumors are cancer

• Malignant tumors are generally more serious than benign tumors. They may be life threatening.
• Malignant tumors often can be removed. But sometimes they grow back.
• Cells from malignant tumors can invade and damage nearby tissues and organs.
• Cells from malignant tumors can spread to other parts of the body. Cancer cells spread by breaking away from the original tumor and entering the bloodstream or lymphatic system. The cells can invade other organs, forming new tumors that damage these organs. The spread of cancer is called metastasis.

The National Cancer Institute’s Cancer Information Service (CIS) is one of the country’s most trusted resources. Ask the CIS is distributed by the CIS Pacific Region, which serves Hawai‘i and the U.S. Pacific Territories. Call the CIS toll-free at 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237) between 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.