In this film, the cure was found in the depths of the Amazon Jungle. When the cure is finally discovered it will have a huge impact around the world. Research over the years has helped our understanding of cancer but not to the point where we are able to foretell exactly when it will happen.

Could it be true that we are all born with it? This is a disease where unhealthy cells grow, divide and then expand into other cells, often transferring to parts of the body using a method called metastasis.

A benign tumor, unlike a malignant cancerous one, does not continue to grow and invade other cells. The risk of contracting this condition increases with age even though it can also affect the young. Most cancers are caused by some form of poison in the cells which creates abnormalities in the genetic makeup of those cells.

For some people the problem lies not with any form of external poison although faults with their parents DNA or genetic makeup can result in a person being born with the diseased cells. Complex relationships between carcinogens and a person’s genetic makeup may explain why only some develop it after exposure to a known carcinogen.

More knowledge is being acquired about cancer each year. We are always learning more about diseases and how they affect our bodies and minds. By understanding the origins of cancer, perhaps we will be able to avoid contracting it until we come up with a cure.

There is a saying ‘You Are What You Eat’ and this is now being looked at more closely as food may have a direct effect on the incidence of the disease in certain groups. Recent studies have shown that calcium received from dairy products can be harmful to men and could encourage the onset of prostate cancer.

Cancer does not seem to have preferences as it is able to invade just about every part of the human body and organs. The problem is that it can also be insidious and a person may have it for some time before it is diagnosed. Although not it is not something anyone wants to be diagnosed with, cancer does not have to mean death these days, with the advances in medical treatment.