Adapted for the Canadian edition by Richard Hasselback, MD
Cancer is a general term for the abnormal growth of cells .
Our bodies are vast collections of cells, and every one of them contains 23 pairs of chromosomes . Winding through each pair is the double spiral of the DNA molecule, the genetic blueprint for life. DNA is the controller and transmitter of the genetic characteristics in the chromosomes we inherit from our parents and pass on to our children.
Our chromosomes contain millions of different messages that tell the body how it should grow, function and behave. One gene tells our stomachs how to make gastric juice; another tells the glands to secrete this juice when food lands in the stomach.
