What is Cancer?

Our bodies are made up of very tiny cells. These cells each have an important job to do in the body to make it work. When some of these cells start to grow too fast, or in the wrong place they can start to affect how the body works.  When this happens it is called cancer. There are over 200 different types of cancer, some more common than others. Although cancer is very scary, the good news is that more and more people who have cancer are getting better. This is because doctors and scientists all around the world are working together to find a cure and better ways of treating cancer.

What causes cancer?

Scientists are working to try and find out the answer to this. Although we know that things like smoking, diet or the sun can increase a person's risk of developing specific types of cancer like lung, or skin cancer, we don’t yet know what causes a lot of cancers. 

It is important to know that cancer is not contagious like chicken pox! You can’t catch or give it to anyone.

Who can get cancer?

Anyone can get cancer, even famous people like Kylie Minogue and Sharon Osborne. Latest research suggests that 1 in 3 people will have cancer at some point in their lives, although cancer is far more common in older people (70 % in people over 60 years old) than children and teenagers. 

How is it treated?

How cancer is treated depends on a number of things. For example, the type of cancer, how early it has been detected, and has it spread to other parts of the body. The most common treatments for cancer are:

Surgery – an operation to remove a tumour (when cancer cells clump together to form a lump).
Radiotherapy – uses radiation (like x-rays) to kill cancer cells.
Chemotherapy – uses medicine (anti cancer drugs) to kill cancer cells.

You can find out more about these treatments in the Hospital section under treatments.

Who can help?

Most people find that talking about things they are worried about with others can really help. If you have cancer there are support groups in Northern Ireland who can help you by providing someone specially trained to listen and provide advice. Some even organise meetings for young people like you who have cancer or have had cancer. Giving you an opportunity to meet with new people who know exactly what you are going through and also have a real good time as well! 

And don’t forget about your family, friends and the hospital team. Family and friends will probably be glad that you have raised the subject, as they might have been afraid that talking about it might upset you.  Your hospital team know a lot about cancer, its treatment and helping people with cancer. If you have questions just ask them, no question is silly if it is bothering you. 

If someone you know has cancer it can be difficult to talk to them about it, but finding out more about cancer, and its treatment can help you understand what they are going through and why they may not be able to do the things you used to like to do together. Especially when they are going through treatment they may feel very tired and need to be careful about catching infectious.

In the find out more section there are links to other web site that can provide more information and advice. 

No, it is never anyone’s fault, and nothing anyone can say or do, good or bad, can cause cancer in another person.

Sometimes people have to move house, but you will still have someone to take care of you and love you.  If you are worried about this talk to a grownup in your family who will be able to explain the situation to you.

Usually there is someone in your family who will take care of you. If you are worried about this talk to a grownup in your family. They may think you know that they will take care of you, so don’t worry in silence-just ask!

No one knows, many people think that heaven is a very happy place, where the person who has died isn’t sick or sore anymore.

A funeral is a time when family and friends come together to remember the special person who has died and to say goodbye. What happens at a funeral will depend on the religion and beliefs of the person who has died.  The best thing to do is to ask someone who has been to a funeral before, they should be able to tell you what to expect.

When someone dies the body no longer thinks or feels anything. So when the coffin is put in the ground the body begins to break down, this is a very natural thing, all living things when they die, break down and become part of the soil. 

When someone dies the body no longer thinks or feels anything. When a body is cremated it is burned up, the ashes that are left are collected and put in a special container called an urn and given to the family. The family then choose what they want to do with it, they can be buried in the cemetery or scattered in a place that was very special to the person.  

Everyone will eventually die, but for most people this will not happen for a very long time and we are very old.

Yes, there are lots of things that you can do that will help you remember them. Memory boxes are a good way of doing this. Collect photographs, birthday cards, may be you have a small present that the person who has died has given you, or a little something that was special to the person. You might even want to include a pressed flower that was their favourite kind or a pebble from a beach where you shared a walk. Anything that has a special meaning for you and the person that died can go in the memory box. Or even a memory book that you can put in photographs and write your favourite memories of the person in is a good idea. You could also talk to others and write down their memories of the person as well. These are both good ways of storing your memories that you can use to help you look back and remember.

No, over time you will begin to feel better, this doesn’t mean that you don’t care about the person who has died or that you have forgotten them. A time will come when you will be able to remember them and the happy times you had together without feeling so sad. You don’t have to go through this sadness all alone, talk to a grownup about how you feel.