Summary Common Cancer Types

Common Cancer Types

Carcinoma

- Cancers which originate in the skin, lungs, breasts, pancreas and other organs/ glands

- Carcinomas are the most commonly diagnosed cancer type, usually forming solid tumors

- Squamous cell carcinomas can destroy nearby healthy tissue, however they can also
spread to the lymph nodes and other organs

- Although carcinomas can be fatal, this is relatively uncommon

- Examples: squamous cell carcinoma, lung carcinoma, invasive ductal carcinoma




Sarcoma

- Cancers which originate in the bones and connective tissue

- Split into two types: soft tissue sarcoma and bone sarcoma (osteosarcoma)

- Tumors commonly present in the bones, muscles, tendons, cartilage, nerves and fat

- Much rarer than carcinomas, but can be treated by surgery to remove tumors

- Examples: angiosarcoma, malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor, dermatofibrosarcoma
protuberans



Leukemia

- Cancers which originate in the blood forming tissues of the body, including the bone
marrow

- Some forms of leukemia are more common in children, whilst others are more prevalent in
adults

- Usually involves the white blood cells, causing them to divide uncontrollably

- Due to the nature of origin, leukemias can spread very fast to many other areas of the body

- Examples: acute myeloid leukemia, acute lymphocytic leukemia, chronic myelogenous
leukemia



Lymphoma and Myeloma

- These cancers are blood cancers, like leukemia, but present differently. Lymphomas form
tumors in lymphatic tissues, and myelomas form tumors of the bone marrow, and involve a
specific type of white blood cells called plasma cells

- Examples: Hodgkin’s lymphoma, IgG myeloma, extramedullary plasmacytoma