🧸 Kids' Corner
What Is Cancer?
Cancer is when some tiny cells in the body grow the wrong way. It is nobody's fault, and doctors have lots of ways to help.
Your body is made of billions of tiny building blocks called cells. They are so small you need a microscope to see them. Cells build your skin, your bones, your blood — everything.
Most of the time, cells do a really smart thing. They grow, they do their job, and when they get old they stop and let new cells take over. They know when to stop.
When cells grow the wrong way
Cancer happens when some cells forget to stop. Instead of growing and then resting, they keep growing and growing when they shouldn't. Sometimes these extra cells clump together into a lump called a tumor.
Because these cells are growing where they shouldn't, they can crowd out the healthy cells and make a person feel sick.
The good news
Here are three true things that a lot of kids want to know:
- Cancer is not your fault. Nobody grows cancer on purpose, and you can't do anything to cause it.
- Doctors and nurses have lots of ways to help. They give special medicine and care to help the body get better.
- Not many kids get cancer at all. If you filled a huge football stadium with kids, only about one of them would have it.
It's okay to have questions
Cancer is a big word with a lot going on. You might feel curious, or worried, or both — and that's okay. You can always ask a grown-up you trust, or ask your doctor or nurse. There are no silly questions.
Hard words on this page
- Cells
- The teeny-tiny building blocks that make up your whole body. You have billions of them — way too small to see.
- Tumor
- A lump that forms when cancer cells clump together. Not every lump is cancer, though.
- Cancer
- When some cells grow and spread the wrong way instead of stopping like they should.