UK media celebrity Jeremy Clarkson this week revealed he has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer.

He told his co-stars about the diagnosis on air during the latest season of Clarkson’s Farm. At the time of filming, he said he didn’t know whether he would be back for another season. However, he said the cancer had been caught early and he was receiving treatment.

Clarkson specifically noted his cancer was “aggressive”.

So what does this actually mean? And what makes some cancers more aggressive than others?

What is an aggressive cancer?

When doctors and scientists refer to a cancer being aggressive, they mean it’s fast-growing.

This is the definition authorities, such as the National Cancer Institute in the United States or the Cancer Council Victoria in Australia, use.

Cancers occur when your body’s cells acquire DNA mutations that alter their behaviour. For instance, certain mutations might lead cells to evade death or divide uncontrollably. Mutations can also affect how fast this........

© The Conversation