Cancer
Biology: AQA GCSE Higher, topic 2.4.13
Tumour Types
Cancer is a group of diseases, where changes in cells lead to uncontrolled growth and division of cells. The tumours that result from cancer (uncontrolled division of cells) are either malignant or benign (harmless).
Malignant tumours
- Malignant tumours can invade neighbouring tissues and spread throughout the body in the blood, leading to the creation of more secondary tumours.
Benign tumours
- Benign tumours stay in a specific part of the body, often within a membrane.
Test yourself on Cancer
Why are benign tumours generally less harmful than malignant tumours?
A malignant tumour has started to spread through a patient's blood. What is a likely effect of this on the body?
A tumour has invaded nearby tissue and caused a new tumour to grow in a different organ. What type of tumour is this most likely to be?