American cancer society

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A cell that degenerates into a tumor cell does usually not acquire all these properties at once, but its daughter cells are selected to build them. This process is called cellular evolution. A first step in the development of a tumor cell is usually a small change in the DNA, often a point mutation, which leads, among other things, to a genetic instability of the cell. The instability increases to a point where the cell loses whole chromosomes, or has double ones. Also, the DNA methylation pattern of the cell changes, activating and deactivating genes more or less at random. Cells that divide at a high rate, such as stem cells, show a higher risk of becoming tumor cells than those which divide less or not at all, for example neurons. If the initial tumor cell (or group of tumor cells) is not removed by the immune system, it will develop into cancer.

Cancers are capable of spreading through the body by two mechanisms: local invasion and distant metastasis. Invasion refers to the direct migration and penetration by cancer cells into neighboring tissues. Metastasis refers to the ability of cancer cells to penetrate into lymphatic and blood vessels, circulate through the bloodstream, and then invade normal tissues elsewhere in the body. Cancer is most deadly when it metastasizes.

Carcinogenesis (lit.: creation of cancer) is the process of derangement of the rate of cell division.

Cancer Rates And Risks
Provides international incidence and mortality rates including information about risk factors. From the U.S. National Cancer Institute.
Cancer-help.org
Links to articles about tumors, treatments and care.
Rare Adult & Pediatric Cancers
Provides information, support, forums, links and news.
Don't Say That Word
Provides an online forum on cancer, information, personal stories, poetry and remembrance pages. Graphics-intensive.
Cancer Site Finder.com
Offers a searchable database of cancer related websites with descriptions of each. Allows users to search by topic, feature, or quality standard.

American cancer society