What is cancer?

Cancer happens when the body's cells change, grow and multiply in an uncontrolled way. These cancer cells can form lumps of tissue called tumours. They may also invade and destroy nearby healthy tissue.

Sometimes cells grow abnormally to form tumours but don't spread. These are called benign tumours.

Other cancers can spread to nearby areas or to other parts of the body. These are called malignant cancers. When cancer spreads to other parts of your body, it is called metastasis.

What are the types of cancer?

Cancer can affect any part of the body, but the most common cancers diagnosed in Australia are:

• breast cancer
• bowel (colorectal) cancer
• prostate cancer
• skin cancers including melanoma
• lung cancer

Read more on different types of cancer.

What are the symptoms of cancer?

General symptoms of cancer include:

• fatigue
• fever
• loss of appetite
• unexplained weight loss
• coughing up blood or bloody mucus
• unusual lump or swelling

Early signs of cancer can include changes to your body's normal processes. For example, bowel cancer may cause a change in your bowel habits and cervical cancer may affect your menstrual cycle.

There are 7 warning signs of cancer:

• C — change in bowel or bladder habits
• A — a sore that does not heal
• U — unusual bleeding or discharge from your mouth, nose, ears, anus or genitals
• T — thickening or a lump in the breast or elsewhere
• I — indigestion or difficulty in swallowing
• O — obvious change in a wart or mole
• N — nagging cough or hoarseness

It's important you see your doctor if you notice a change in what is normal for you.

What causes cancer?

It's not always clear why cancer develops, but some things can significantly increase your chances of cancer. These include:

• smoking
• drinking alcohol
• eating a poor diet
• living with overweight or obesity
• not getting enough exercise
• being exposed to radiation, such as ultraviolet (UV) radiation from sunlight

Sometimes cancer runs in families. You can inherit genes that make you more likely to get cancer.

In other cases, cancer is linked to an infection. For example, cervical cancer is associated with some types of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection.

Exposure to some chemicals can also increase your risk of developing some cancers.

When should I see my doctor?

There is a much greater chance of successfully treating cancer if it is found early.

If you notice any worrying changes or symptoms, especially if they persist for a while, see your doctor.

If you have a diagnosis of cancer, or are at risk of getting, cancer you may find it helpful to talk to a trained counsellor, psychologist or call a cancer helpline. If you are struggling or feeling overwhelmed, you can also talk to your doctor, who will be able to provide advice and support.

How is cancer diagnosed?

Some cancers are found during routine health checks or cancer screening tests, while others are found after testing when someone already has symptoms. Accurately diagnosing cancer can take time.

Different tests are used to diagnose cancer. These depend on the type of cancer and your general health. Tests may include:

• blood tests
• imaging tests such as mammography, x-rays, computed tomography (CT) scans, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans or ultrasounds
• endoscopy

If cancer is suspected, your doctor may take a biopsy — a small sample of tissue that is examined in a laboratory. Biopsy results can give information about the type of cancer and help guide treatment.

How is cancer treated?

There are many ways to treat cancer and treatments are improving all the time. Your doctor will discuss treatment options based on the type of cancer, its stage and many other factors.

Treatment options include:

• chemotherapy — cancer treatment using medicines
• radiotherapy — the controlled use of high-energy radiation to kill cancer cells
• surgery — an operation to remove or reduce the size of a tumour
• immunotherapy — medicines that trigger your immune system to fight cancer cells
• targeted therapy — medicine designed to target the cancer and avoid other cells in your body
• hormone therapy — hormone medicines to stop or slow the cancer's growth and spread
• stem cell transplant — also called a bone marrow transplant, used to treat some blood cancers

If your cancer cannot be treated, you may be offered palliative care. This refers to treatment to enhance your quality of life while living with cancer.

You might choose to try complementary therapies. This includes a range of therapies, such as relaxation, meditation, massage or acupuncture, that can help you cope with treatment and support your wellbeing.

A range of health professionals are usually involved in cancer treatment, and may include:

• your GP
• oncologists (cancer doctors)
• radiologists
• surgeons
• pathologists
• oncology nurses

You might be offered to take part in a clinical trial. This is a way of testing new treatments.

Clinical trials may give you access to treatments that aren't usually available in Australia.

You can find out more about clinical trials and whether there is one available to test treatment for your cancer at the Australian Clinical Trials website.

Living with cancer

Living with cancer can affect your physical, emotional and mental wellbeing. It's important to remember that you are not alone. Talk to your doctor or cancer care team about any worries or changes in how you feel. Support is also available through community organisations, counsellors and mental health services. Reaching out for help can make it easier to cope with treatment, side effects and the changes cancer may bring to your daily life. Support is also available for your family.

Read more on support for parents of children with cancer.

What are the costs of cancer treatment?

Living with a long-term illness such as cancer can be expensive. The cost of cancer treatment depends on different factors, such as if you:

• are treated in a public or private hospital
• continue to work or take time off work
• need to travel to receive treatment
• have private health insurance

Some cancer treatment costs are covered by Medicare or the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.

If you are unable to work due to treatment, you can apply for the JobSeeker Payment from Services Australia.

The Australian Government offers a Medical Costs Finder to help you understand your typical fees and costs.

What are the complications of cancer treatments?

Cancer treatments can cause side effects including:

• pain
• fatigue
• hair loss and skin reactions
• nausea and vomiting
• fertility problems
• anaemia
• constipation or diarrhoea

Your doctor will advise you about side effects you may experience with your treatment. They can also help you manage them.

Some treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy, may increase your risk of developing a second cancer. Your doctor will discuss with you the risks and benefits of any treatment offered.

Can cancer be prevented?

Not all cancers can be prevented, but you can lower your risk by making healthy lifestyle choices, such as:

• not smoking
• limiting alcohol
• maintaining a healthy weight
• eating a balanced diet
• getting regular exercise
• protecting your skin from the sun
• protecting yourself from certain infections by getting recommended vaccines, such as the HPV (human papillomavirus) and hepatitis B vaccines

You can also get checked regularly for some cancers. There are free national screening programs in Australia available for breast cancer, cervical cancer and bowel cancer.

You can check your risk of cancer using Cancer Australia's online risk assessment tools.

Resources and support

• Cancer Council can give you advice on how to tell other people you have cancer, including family, friends and children. They can also connect you to support groups where you can meet other people who have been diagnosed with cancer and are having treatment.
• Cancer Council provides information about financial support for people affected by cancer, their families and friends.
• Cancer Council also has guides for many types of cancers.
• Cancer Australia has more information about different types of cancers.
• Visit Cancer Council's early detection and screening page, or call Cancer Council helpline on 13 11 20.

Rare Cancers Australia has information about rare cancers. This includes specialised cancer services, support services and clinical trials.

Languages other than English

Find information about cancer in languages other than English:

• Visit Cancer Council's Multilingual resources page.
• Cancer Council's cancer guides can be downloaded as PDFs in other languages.
• Canteen has a guide for young cancer patients translated into languages other than English.

Information for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples

• Cancer Council has cancer information for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples.
• Cancer Australia also has more information about cancer for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples.