It is important to realise that cancer is not a single disease with a single cause and a single type of treatment. There are more than 200 different kinds of cancer, each with its own name and treatment.

Cancer may have specific effects on the body, and in some people may cause specific physical problems depending on the part of the body that is affected.

Some examples are:

• Lung cancer can cause a cough or breathlessness.
• A cancer that has spread into the lymph glands may cause swelling of a part of the body by blocking the flow of lymph fluid through the affected lymph glands. This is known as lymphoedema.
• Cancer in a bone may make the bone weak, and increase the chance of it breaking (a fracture).

So sometimes the cancer can cause physical problems or disability, which may make travelling difficult.