All types of cancer share common markers and all cancer cells have some unique characteristics including damaged or mutated cells, rapid multiplication, and the ability to spread throughout the body.
Your body consists of billions of cells and the activities of those cells are managed by your DNA. Cells grow, multiply, and die every second of every day… unless they are cancerous cells. Cancer cells ignore your body’s directives and multiply without restraint. They hinder the normal activities of your internal organs and invade adjacent tissues.
Cancers can be classified in 2 ways:
I.) Based on the type of cell they start-in
II.) Based on the cancer's location in the body (i.e. body part/tissue area affected).
I.] Based on the type of cell they start in the cancer can be classified as- Carcinoma, Sarcoma, Leukemias, Lymphomas & Myelomas, Brain & Spinal Cord Cancers.
(a.) Carcinomas- A carcinoma begins in the skin or the tissue that covers the surface of internal organs and glands. Carcinomas usually form solid tumors. They are the most common type of cancer. Based on the types of epitheleal cells involved the different types of carcinomas are classified as- squamous cell carcinoma, adeno carcinoma, transitional cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma. Examples of carcinomas include prostate cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer, and colorectal cancer. (b.) Sarcomas- A sarcoma begins in the tissues that support and connect the body. A sarcoma can develop in fat, muscles, nerves, tendons, joints, blood vessels, lymph vessels, cartilage, or bone. The term sarcoma comes from the Greek word sarkoma, meaning “fleshy growth.” About half of sarcomas occur in the arms or legs. The rest occur in the head and neck area, the internal organs or the back of the abdominal cavity (retroperitoneum). Sarcomas are divided into two main types: soft tissue sarcomas and bone cancers (osteosarcoma). These are further classified into more than 70 sarcoma subtypes. (c.) Leukemias- Leukemia is a cancer of the blood. Leukaemia is a condition in which the bone marrow makes too many white blood cells. The blood cells are not fully formed and so they don't work properly. The abnormal cells build up in the blood. The four main types of leukemia are acute lymphocytic leukemia, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, acute myeloid leukemia, and chronic myeloid leukemia. (d.) Lymphomas- Lymphoma is a cancer that begins in the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system is a network of vessels and glands that help fight infection. Lymphoma is a result of abnormal growth of lymphocytes (i.e. the WBCs). There are two main types of lymphomas: Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Myeloma is also known as multiple myeloma. It is a cancer that starts in plasma cells. (e.) Brain and Spinal Cord Cancers
II.] Based on the cancer's location in the body (i.e. body part/tissue area affected) there are more than a 100 types of cancers and those are named and categorized according to the tissue area affected.
The most common types of cancers are:
1.) Breast Cancer
2.) Prostrate Cancer
3.) Lung Cancer
4.) Liver Cancer
5.) Oral Cancer (Mouth and Throat)
6.) Colorectal (Colon and Rectum) Cancer
7.) Cervical Cancer
8.) Uterine Cancer
9.) Ovarian Cancer
10.) Testicular Cancer
11.) Pancreatic Cancer
12.) Thyroid Cancer
13.) Brain Tumor
14.) Primary Central Nervous System Lymphoma
15.) Leukemia
16.) Multiple Myeloma
17.) Hodgkin's Disease
18.) Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma
19.) Leukemia
20.) Renal Cancer/Kidney Cancer
21.) Bladder Cancer
22.) Esophageal Cancer
23.) Gastric Cancer/Stomach Cancer
24.) Cancer of the Small Intestine
25.) Skin Melanoma
