What exactly is cancer?
"Cancer is a group of many related diseases that begin in cells, the body's basic unit of life. To understand cancer, it is helpful to know what happens when normal cells become cancerous.

The body is made up of many types of cells. Normally, cells grow and divide to produce more cells only when the body needs them. This orderly process helps keep the body healthy. Sometimes, however, cells keep dividing when new cells are not needed. These extra cells form a mass of tissue, called a growth or tumor. Tumors can be benign or malignant.

• Benign tumors are not cancer. They can often be removed and, in most cases, they do not come back. Cells from benign tumors do not spread to other parts of the body. Most important, benign tumors are rarely a threat to life.
• Malignant tumors are cancer. Cells in these tumors are abnormal and divide without control or order. They can invade and damage nearby tissues and organs. Also, cancer cells can break away from a malignant tumor and enter the bloodstream or the lymphatic system. That is how cancer spreads from the original cancer site to form new tumors in other organs. The spread of cancer is called metastasis." What You Need to Know About™ Cancer - National Cancer Institute NCI
  
  What Is Cancer - NCI
  Learning About Cancer - People Living with Cancer
  

What is the connection between my immune system and the development of cancer?
Cancer and the Immune System: The Vital Connection - Cancer Research Institute

I hear a lot about staging. I've never heard that term for other diseases. Why is it so important?
"When cancer is diagnosed, the doctor will want to learn the stage, or extent, of the disease. Staging is a careful attempt to find out whether the cancer has spread and, if so, to which parts of the body. Treatment decisions depend on the results of staging. The doctor may order more laboratory tests and imaging studies or additional biopsies to find out whether the cancer has spread. An operation called a laparotomy can help the doctor find out whether cancer has spread within the abdomen. During this operation, a surgeon makes an incision into the abdomen and removes samples of tissue." What You Need to Know About™ Cancer: An Overview - NCI
Staging - American Cancer Society (ACS)

What does it mean when they say the cancer has spread or metastasized?
"When cancer spreads (metastasizes), cancer cells are often found in nearby or regional lymph nodes (sometimes called lymph glands). If the cancer has reached these nodes, it means that cancer cells may have spread to other organs, such as the liver, bones, or brain. When cancer spreads from its original location to another part of the body, the new tumor has the same kind of abnormal cells and the same name as the primary tumor. For example, if lung cancer spreads to the brain, the cancer cells in the brain are actually lung cancer cells. The disease is called metastatic lung cancer (it is not brain cancer)." What You Need to Know About™ Cancer: An Overview - NCI
Exploring Cancer Type: Metastasis
Metastatic Cancer: Questions and Answers - NCI

Just getting the correct name of my diagnosis is hard. Do you have a list I could look at that might help me get the exact name and spelling?
Find Your Cancer Type - This table will help you fit your diagnosis into its broader category. For example, a diagnosis of liver cancer fits into the cancer type, gastrointestinal cancers
What You Need to Get Started Researching Your Cancer Diagnosis - tips from a cancer survivor - Steve Dunn's Cancer Guide
Pros and Cons of Researching Your Cancer - Steve Dunn's Cancer Guide
How to Evaluate Health Information on the Internet: Questions and Answers - NCI

I've been diagnosed with cancer. How do I find a doctor or get a second opinion?
Finding a Specialist - Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center
Dealing with Your Diagnosis: tips on finding care - People Living With Cancer
How To Find a Doctor or Treatment Facility if You Have Cancer - NCI
NCI Cancer Centers Program - NCI - lists comprehensive cancer centers across the US

Do you have a list of websites, books, and other resources on cancer basics?
Information Finder on Basic Cancer Information

Revised 2008