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Cancer research and cancer treatment are evolving very rapidly. Built on a platform of intensive molecular research, the prognosis of cancer is beginning to be transformed. We have huge amounts of cancer information at our disposal. The challenge is how to translate these into the clinic and make cost effective treatments. 

Age and fitness have a crucial bearing on the treatment of cancer, which can be very intensive. With old and frail people we have to modify how aggressive we are with our treatment in order that people can cope. However, in younger and fitter patients experience has taught us about what is exactly the right level of activity for treatment in order to produce the best responses.  

Regular physical activity not only helps lower your risk of cancer, but it may also improve quality of life, mood, and other side effects of cancer and cancer treatment for people with cancer and cancer survivors. According to a 2011 report from the UK based Macmillan Cancer Support suggested that once cancer treatment has finished physical activity can reduce the impact of side effects, such as swelling, anxiety, depression, fatigue, impaired mobility and changes in weight. The research also suggested that exercise has an impact on preventing occurrence of a few specific cancers. For example, women with breast cancer who exercise for 150 minutes a week at moderate intensity have more than a 40 percent lower risk of dying and recurrence of the disease compared with women who are active for less than one hour a week.   

Some cancers have spread at the time when they are diagnosed and require different types of treatment and surgery cannot completely contain the disease. Other types of cancer do not require surgery and other types of treatment such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy may be sufficient to deal with the disease. Just because a cancer is not operated upon or is referred to as inoperable does not necessarily mean doom and gloom and death from the disease.

Many people successfully recover from cancer. After the completion of the original treatment package most people do not require any additional treatment to recover. When you are recovering from cancer you are likely to have regular check ups and it might be recommended that you take drugs over a extended period of time.

Cancer need not be painful. We have successful ways to control cancer pain and also pain associated with cancer treatment. Thus, many people with cancer do not experience pain.

Cancer occurs when a single cell starts to divide repeatedly, producing abnormal copies of itself, rather than dividing ocassionally just to replace worn out cells. If the imune system does not destro these cells , they continue to to reproduce and invade surrounding tissue. Cancer cells can spread to other parts of the body through the blood and lymph  systems. Cancer is not just one disease but many diseases. Most cancers are named for the organ or type of cell in which they start: for example, cancer that begins in the breast is called breast cancer. Although there are more than 100 different types of cancer, cancers can be broadly grouped into four types, depending on which tissues they come from:

• Carcinomas: arise from the cells that cover external and internal body surfaces. For example, lung, breast, and colon.
• Sarcomas: arise from cells found in the supporting tissues of the body such as bone, cartilage, fat, connective tissue and muscle.
• Lymphomas: arise in the lymph nodes and tissues of the body's immune system.
• Leukaemias: arise from immature blood cells that grow in the bone marrow and tend to accumulate in large numbers in the bloodstream.