What does cancer do to your body

Our page on leukemia has more information. Lymphoma is cancer that begins in lymphocytes T cells or B cells. These are disease-fighting white blood cells that are part of the immune system. In lymphoma, abnormal lymphocytes build up in lymph nodes and lymph vessels, as well as in other organs of the body. Hodgkin lymphoma — People with this disease have abnormal lymphocytes that are called Reed-Sternberg cells.

These cells usually form from B cells. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma — This is a large group of cancers that start in lymphocytes. The cancers can grow quickly or slowly and can form from B cells or T cells. Our page on lymphoma has more information. Multiple myeloma is cancer that begins in plasma cells , another type of immune cell. The abnormal plasma cells, called myeloma cells, build up in the bone marrow and form tumors in bones all through the body.

Multiple myeloma is also called plasma cell myeloma and Kahler disease. Our page on multiple myeloma and other plasma cell neoplasms has more information. Melanoma is cancer that begins in cells that become melanocytes, which are specialized cells that make melanin the pigment that gives skin its color.

Most melanomas form on the skin, but melanomas can also form in other pigmented tissues, such as the eye. Our pages on skin cancer and intraocular melanoma have more information. There are different types of brain and spinal cord tumors. These tumors are named based on the type of cell in which they formed and where the tumor first formed in the central nervous system.

For example, an astrocytic tumor begins in star-shaped brain cells called astrocytes , which help keep nerve cells healthy. Brain tumors can be benign not cancer or malignant cancer. Our pages on brain and spinal cord tumors in adults and brain and spinal cord tumors in children have more information.

Germ cell tumors are a type of tumor that begins in the cells that give rise to sperm or eggs. These tumors can occur almost anywhere in the body and can be either benign or malignant. Neuroendocrine tumors form from cells that release hormones into the blood in response to a signal from the nervous system. These tumors, which may make higher-than-normal amounts of hormones, can cause many different symptoms. Neuroendocrine tumors may be benign or malignant.

Our definition of neuroendocrine tumors has more information. Carcinoid tumors are a type of neuroendocrine tumor. They are slow-growing tumors that are usually found in the gastrointestinal system most often in the rectum and small intestine. Carcinoid tumors may spread to the liver or other sites in the body, and they may secrete substances such as serotonin or prostaglandins, causing carcinoid syndrome.

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Cancer cells or tumors in organs or the bloodstream can disrupt organ function. They may destroy healthy cells in organs, block their nutrient or oxygen supply, and allow waste products to build up.

If cancer becomes severe enough that it impairs or prevents vital organ function, it can result in death. The list below outlines some examples of how different types of cancer ultimately cause death:. Some tumors are benign , or noncancerous.

Benign tumors can be quite large, but they do not usually spread. Most do not grow back after removal or destruction, and most do not result in death — though brain tumors can sometimes be life threatening. Tumors can also be malignant, or cancerous. Cancerous tumors tend to spread and invade surrounding tissues, impacting their function or health.

With early treatment, the early stages of cancer usually do not cause severe symptoms or lead to death. However, untreated later stage cancer tends to cause severe symptoms and has a higher likelihood of causing death. It means that they have not spread. This stage is usually highly curable, often through the surgical removal of the tumor or cancerous cells.

Often called early stage cancer, stage 1 cancers or tumors are small and not deeply embedded in surrounding tissues. They have also not spread to other parts of the body or the lymph system. People with stage 0 or 1 cancers may not notice any symptoms. Others may experience symptoms or notice changes to their body, such as:. Stage 2 and 3 cancers and tumors tend to be larger and have grown deeply into surrounding tissues. They may also have spread to other parts of the body or the lymph system.

Stage 4 is also called metastatic, or advanced, cancer. At this stage, cancers or tumors have spread to other parts of the body. People with later stage cancer will experience different symptoms, depending on the type and location of their cancer. Nobody can entirely predict factors such as:. Some people die from cancer fairly quickly, especially if there were unexpected complications or the cancer was very severe. In other cases, it can take months or years. However, as the cancer grows or spreads, it will start to impact multiple organs and the essential bodily processes they perform.

So a lot of effort is put into early diagnosis when treatment is likely to work best. How cancer causes death depends on your cancer type and which parts of your body are affected. Some cancers start in or spread to a part of the body that does something essential for life. A cancer that grows in the digestive system can block it, or partly block it. So food can't go through the gut and the nutrients and calories you need can't be absorbed. You might be able to have surgery to remove the blockage.

But if this is not possible, your medical team will do all they can to control your symptoms. When cancer blocks the lungs, there may eventually be not enough healthy lung tissue to allow you to absorb the oxygen you need. If you have advanced cancer, you might not have the strength to fight off a lung infection, even with strong antibiotics.

So the infection can eventually lead to death. Cancer in the bones can cause calcium to be released into the bloodstream. This can affect the calcium balance of the body. Normally the body has systems to correct this, but when the imbalance becomes too great the systems don't work any more.

There is treatment to bring calcium levels back to normal, but these only work for a limited time. Then the calcium levels can continue to rise in the blood. High levels of calcium in the body can cause you to become unconscious and eventually die. Cancer cells can affect the bone marrow. The bone marrow if a spongy material that fills the bones. It produces very early cells called stem cells which then develop into new blood cells.

Eventually, you might not have enough healthy bone marrow to make new:. The liver is the chemical factory of the body. It carries out many tasks and is very important in maintaining the balance of body chemicals.

A cancer that has spread to the liver can upset this chemical balance. Cancers can grow into and damage blood vessels in a vital part of the body.