Types of cancer

Doctors divide cancer into types based on where it begins. Four main types of cancer
are:

 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. Examples of carcinomas
include prostate cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer, and colorectal cancer.
 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. 
 Leukemia. Leukemia is a cancer of the blood. Leukemia begins when healthy
blood cells change and grow uncontrollably. The 4 main types of leukemia
are acute lymphocytic leukemia, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, acute
myeloid leukemia, and chronic myeloid leukemia.
 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.
There are 2 main types of lymphomas: Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin
lymphoma.

Leukemia
Leukemia is a cancer of the blood. Leukemia begins when healthy blood cells change
and grow out of control. Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a cancer of the
lymphocytes. Lymphocytes are a type of white blood cell involved in the body’s immune
system. In some people with CLL, the disease grows and progresses slowly. This
means it may take years for symptoms to appear or for treatment to be needed. In fact,
some patients may never need treatment for their CLL. In other patients, the disease
grows more quickly and needs treatment sooner.

About lymphocytes
Lymphocytes circulate in the bloodstream and are made in 4 places in the body:

 Lymph nodes, which are the tiny, bean-shaped organs that fight infection
 Spleen, which also filters the blood
 Thymus, an organ under the breast bone
 Bone marrow, the spongy, red tissue in the inner part of the large and flat
bones

There are 3 different types of lymphocytes:

 T cells, which fight infection by triggering other cells in the immune system
and by destroying infected cells
 B cells, which make antibodies
 Natural killer (NK) cells, which fight microbes and cancer cells

How cancer spreads

As a cancerous tumor grows, the bloodstream or lymphatic system may carry cancer
cells to other parts of the body. During this process, the cancer cells grow and may
develop into new tumors. This is known as metastasis.

One of the first places a cancer often spreads is to the lymph nodes. Lymph nodes are
tiny, bean-shaped organs that help fight infection. They are located in clusters in
different parts of the body, such as the neck, groin area, and under the arms.

Cancer may also spread through the bloodstream to distant parts of the body. These
parts may include the bones, liver, lungs, or brain. Even if the cancer spreads, it is still
named for the area where it began. For example, if breast cancer spreads to the lungs,
it is called metastatic breast cancer.

Diagnosing cancer
Often, a diagnosis begins when a person visits a doctor about an unusual symptom.
The doctor will talk with the person about his or her medical history and symptoms.
Then the doctor will do various tests to find out the cause of these symptoms.

But many people with cancer have no symptoms. For these people, cancer is
diagnosed during a medical test for another issue or condition.

Sometimes a doctor finds cancer after a screening test in an otherwise healthy person.
Examples of screening tests include colonoscopy, mammography, and a Pap test. A
person may need more tests to confirm or disprove the result of the screening test.
For most cancers, a biopsy is the only way to make a definite diagnosis. A biopsy is the
removal of a small amount of tissue for further study. Learn more about making a
diagnosis after a biopsy.
https://youtu.be/LEpTTolebqo

Diagnosing cancer
Often, a diagnosis begins when a person visits a doctor about an unusual symptom.
The doctor will talk with the person about his or her medical history and symptoms.
Then the doctor will do various tests to find out the cause of these symptoms.

But many people with cancer have no symptoms. For these people, cancer is
diagnosed during a medical test for another issue or condition.

Sometimes a doctor finds cancer after a screening test in an otherwise healthy person.
Examples of screening tests include colonoscopy, mammography, and a Pap test. A
person may need more tests to confirm or disprove the result of the screening test.
For most cancers, a biopsy is the only way to make a definite diagnosis. A biopsy is the
removal of a small amount of tissue for further study. Learn more about making a
diagnosis after a biopsy.

Cancer is the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in the body. Cancer develops when the
body's normal control mechanism stops working. Old cells do not die and instead grow out of
control, forming new, abnormal cells. These extra cells may form a mass of tissue, called
a tumor.

Cancer facts
Cancer comes from overproduction and malfunction of the body's own cells.

 Cancer is the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells anywhere in a body.

 There are over 200 types of cancer.
 Anything that may cause a normal body cell to develop abnormally
potentially can cause cancer; general categories of cancer-related or
causative agents are as follows: chemical or toxic compound exposures,
ionizing radiation, some pathogens, and human genetics.
 Cancer symptoms and signs depend on the specific type and grade of
cancer; although general signs and symptoms are not very specific the
following can be found in patients with different cancers: fatigue, weight
loss, pain, skin changes, change in bowel or bladder function, unusual
bleeding, persistent cough or voice change, fever, lumps, or tissue
masses.
 Although there are many tests to screen and presumptively diagnose
cancer, the definite diagnosis is made by examination of a biopsy sample
of suspected cancer tissue.
  Cancer staging is often determined by biopsy results and helps determine
the cancer type and the extent of cancer spread; staging also helps
caregivers determine treatment protocols. In general, in most staging
methods, the higher the number assigned (usually between 0 to 4), the
more aggressive the cancer type or more widespread is the cancer in the
body. Staging methods differ from cancer to cancer and need to be
individually discussed with your health care provider.
 Treatment protocols vary according to the type and stage of the cancer.
Most treatment protocols are designed to fit the individual patient's
disease. However, most treatments include at least one of the following
and may include all: surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy.
 There are many listed home remedies and alternative treatments for
cancers but patients are strongly recommended to discuss these before
use with their cancer doctors.
 The prognosis of cancer can range from excellent to poor. The prognosis
depends on the cancer type and its staging with those cancers known to
be aggressive and those staged with higher numbers (3 to 4) often have a
prognosis that ranges more toward poor.

What is cancer?
  Cancer is the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells anywhere in a body.
These abnormal cells are termed cancer cells, malignant cells, or tumor cells.
These cells can infiltrate normal body tissues. Many cancers and the abnormal
cells that compose the cancer tissue are further identified by the name of the
tissue that the abnormal cells originated from (for example, breast cancer, lung
cancer, colorectal cancer). Cancer is not confined to humans; animals and
other living organisms can get cancer. Below is a schematic that shows normal
cell division and how when a cell is damaged or altered without repair to its
system, the cell usually dies. Also shown is what occurs when such damaged or
unrepaired cells do not die and become cancer cells and show uncontrolled
division and growth -- a mass of cancer cells develop. Frequently, cancer cells
can break away from this original mass of cells, travel through the blood and
lymph systems, and lodge in other organs where they can again repeat the
uncontrolled growth cycle. This process of cancer cells leaving an area and
growing in another body area is termed metastatic spread or metastasis. For
example, if breast cancer cells spread to a bone, it means that the individual has
metastatic breast cancer to bone. This is not the same as "bone cancer," which
would mean the cancer had started in the bone.

The following table (National Cancer Institute 2016) gives the estimated numbers
of new cases and deaths for each common cancer type: