Understanding Cancer - The Cancer Series part 1

If you follow my blog you know that recently I've had a bit of trouble with what I wanted to say on my blog. It's a style blog, and will continue to be so, but I felt like I have too little to say and to offer. I scrutinised my interest and my knowledge and I came to the conclusion that if anything I can write about science. Medical science is my field of research, more particularly pathology, and even more particular than that - cancer of the large intestine. I work in a research group that focuses solely on cancer of the large intestine, that is cancer in the colon and the rectum (which is the bit between the colon and the anus). We have people working on all the different aspects of this particular cancer, but my work is mostly to do with the genes and mutations that cause cancer in the large intestine.

So I thought I'd describe a bit of what I work on and break it down for you all so that it's not just some medical mumbo-jumbo but actually understandable. To start we need to ask the basic question: What is cancer?

Cancer is a disease that is caused by cells that divide abnormally and more than they should. This can often lead to a growth - a tumour. A tumour is not always cancer, you can have a tumour that is benign, which means that it is "nice", grows slowly and is usually safe to have. A tumour is basically just a mass of cells. For example, a wart is a tumour. Warts are not usually dangerous, they're a bit gross, but they are definitely not cancer. Cancer evolves when the cells normal division is disrupted and goes out of control. It's a cancer when the cancer cells grow in size and number and grow into surrounding tissue or spread to other parts of the body (via the blood or lymphatic system) and become cancers at the new location (what you have then is a metastasis which is basically a "daughter" tumour). The tumour (the mass of, in this case, cancer cells) is now called a malignant tumour which behaves more aggressively.

Hopefully now, you understand what cancer is on a basic level. So my question to you is: Are you interested in me continuing this and writing more about science and specifically cancer (which is my area of interest and knowledge)? Or is it too much?
If you have any questions about the actual information in this blog post pop down to the comments and ask me, I will do my best to answer!

I promised that I would continue as a style blogger as well, so I wore this lovely deer dress from Larmoni. Again.

But this time I paired it with a long sleeved blouse because it is getting colder here. I am very excited about the weather getting chillier and the air getting crisper. I've mentioned many time that I love autumn, and slowly the leaves are transforming into the golden colours that we associate with this wonderful season.

Blouse: Miss Patina (here)

Dress: Larmoni (here)

Shoes: New Look via Asos (here)

Socks: Primark (old)

Much love