# cancer (disease)

a change when cells grow more than usual and differ from normal in structure or function

- Computed level: L17 (depth in the emergence graph, not abstraction)
- Status: review  ·  Domain: medical  ·  Arena: everyday

## Emergence
**Emerges from:** [cell](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-cell.biological), [growth](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-growth.development), [difference](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-difference.relation), [change](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-change.process), [increase](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-increase.quantity), [usual](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-usual.common)

**Through:** cells increase in number beyond normal growth patterns and differ in behavior or form from typical cells, disrupting regular tissue function

**Novel properties:**
- uncontrolled proliferation
- abnormal cellular morphology
- tissue invasion potential

## Examples
- In 2018, a melanoma tumor in James Watson's lung grew rapidly, displacing healthy tissue. *(biology)*
- The Chernobyl Exclusion Zone saw uncontrolled plant growth after human management ceased in 1986. *(ecology)*
- A software bug in the Therac-25 radiation therapy machine caused abnormal dose outputs in 1986. *(engineering)*

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*Canonical: https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-cancer.disease*  
*Structured data: https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-cancer.disease.json*  
*Every definition provably resolves to space, time, energy and pattern.*