Cancer: Understanding the unique characteristics of cancer cells

Cancer is the leading cause of death globally, after cardiovascular disease. It affects anyone, regardless of age, gender, or race. The disease is fast becoming a menace in the developing world where resources for treatment are limited and out of reach for the majority. Cancer is a genetic disorder with complex molecular mechanisms, which makes it difficult to understand the disease process as well as ways of controlling it. It has a negative impact on the health, social and economic status of an individual, family, community, and nation at large. A number of cancer types exist, with breast, prostate, cervical, skin, lung, and bowel cancers being the most common ones. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of cancer enables the comprehensive detection, staging, treatment, and monitoring of treatment progress, which, consequently, leads to improvement in treatment outcomes.