Understanding chemotherapy - Macmillan Cancer

Understanding chemotherapyWhat is cancer?The organs and tissues of the body are made up of tinybuilding blocks called cells. Cancer is a disease of these cells.Cancer isn’t a single disease with a single cause and a singletype of treatment. There are more than 200 different kinds ofcancer, each with its own name and treatment.Although cells in different parts of the body may look and workdifferently, most repair and reproduce themselves in the sameway. Normally, cells divide in an orderly and controlled way.But if for some reason the process gets out of control, the cellscarry on dividing, and develop into a lump called a tumour.Tumours can be either benign (non-cancerous) or malignant(cancerous). Doctors can tell whether a tumour is benign ormalignant by removing a piece of tissue (biopsy) and examininga small sample of cells under a microscope.Normal cellsCells forming a tumour6