Most of us are familiar about cancers and the destruction that they do to the body. Part of this is the fact that cancer is one of the most common and one of the deadliest diseases around. However, not everyone understands completely basics of why cancers occur.

An article by the US-based National Health Museum (NHM) explains some of the fundamentals of cancer, from what is and how it occurs. According to the article, “cancer is a disease of genes gone awry.” The genes that are responsible for controlling the replication of cells become damaged, which leads to the uncontrolled reproduction of the cells. This is then spreads to neighboring tissues, and may eventually spread throughout the body.

The article also stated that only a fraction of the cancer is inherited, meaning anyone could develop cancer. Most of the cancers, however, are caused by mutations that develop in the cells.

The NHM is an Atlanta, Georgia-based museum that aims to, “educated and inspire Americans to live healthier lives.”

For more on NHM’s explanation on how cancers occur, click on the direct link to the article: http://www.accessexcellence.org/AE/AEPC/NIH/gene13.php