Lecture Notes

Cancer is another common health issue that affects sexuality. It is the result of the aberrant behavior of cells. Carcinogens, or cancer causing agents, are believed to scramble DNA messages within cells leading to an abandonment of its normal functions. As a result, cancer can come in the form of benign or malignant tumors. Benign tumors are slow growing and localized, whereas malignant tumors are cancerous and invade nearby tissues and disrupt the normal functioning of vital organs. Metastasis is the process of disease spreading from one part of the body to another unrelated part, and this accounts for the majority of cancer deaths.