"Well at first I couldn't believe that she'd got cancer because she was so full of life"

What Is Cancer

The human body is made up of millions of tiny parts called cells. Cancer is the name given to all illnesses where one of these cells multiplies too quickly. Because far too many of this type of cell are made, this may mean other parts of the body do not work properly.There are 2 main sorts of cancer: Leukaemia and Tumours.

- Leukaemia is a type of cancer where it is the white blood cells that divide too quickly. All blood cells are made in the bone marrow, which is the soft part in the middle of our bones. In leukaemia the bone marrow gets so clogged up with white blood cells that there’s no room for healthy blood cells to grow.This is what makes people with leukaemia ill.

- Tumours is the name given to the sorts of cancers that grow in lumps.Tumours can grow in any part of the body. If the cell that is dividing too quickly is in a bone then the tumour might be on the arm or leg. If the cell that is dividing too quickly is in the head then this will produce a brain tumour.Tumours can squash healthy parts of the body that are near to them and this is what makes people with tumours ill.

To hear that your brother or sister has cancer can be a big shock. Some young people told us how they had felt when they found out:

"When I first found outI didn’t know what to feel"

"Well at first I couldn't believe that she'd got cancer because she was so full of life"

"You feel so helpless 'cos you can't do anything"

"You'd expect you'd be really ill when you find out you've got cancer, but it's just such little things, you wouldn't expect it, would you?"

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