Cancer is the growth of abnormal cells. These changes cells grow and they can form into small tumors. The tumors can place pressure on nerves or blood vessels or they can interfere with the function of organs - such as obstructing the intestines. Some cancers grow slowly and it can take years for them to become life threatening - however others can grow very rapidly. Cancers are named according to the type of tissue in which they occur - carcinomas, begin in the tissues of organs (these are the most common gastrointestinal cancers); lymphomas develop in the immune system, particularly in the lymph nodes; sarcomas start on the connective tissue such as muscle or bone.

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