What is cancer?
Cancer is the term used for numerous diseases in which abnormal cells divide uncontrollably. These cells can invade other tissues, always resulting in problems for the patient. The most common cell regulator that malfunctions is gene p53. There are over 100 different types of cancers, all being uniquely different.
(Image from Understanding Cancer Series: Cancer.)
(Image from Understanding Cancer Series: Cancer.)
Ampullary Cancer
Ampullary cancer is a type of carcinoma. "Carcinoma - cancer that begins in the skin or in tissues that line or cover internal organs. There are a number of subtypes of carcinoma, including adenocarcinoma, basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and transitional cell carcinoma."(Defining Cancer) Ampullary cancer starts in the Ampulla of Vater where the bile and pancreatic duct join and empty into the duodenum. The cells in ampullary cancer are like the ones in all other cancers... They grow uncontrollably and invade other parts of the body. Cancerous cells do not go through apoptosis, meaning they do not die. "Cancer cells break away from the original primary tumor and spread through the bloodstream or the lymphatic system, forming new secondary tumors in organs such as the lungs, liver or brain. Scientists call this process metastasis." (How cancer grows and spreads - Spreading around the body)