Cells are the building blocks of living things. Cancer grows out of normal cells in the body. Normal cells multiply when the body needs them, and die when the body doesn't need them. Cancer appears to occur when the growth of cells in the body is out of control and cells divide too quickly. It can also occur when cells “forget” how to die.
There are many different kinds of cancers. Cancer can develop in almost any organ or tissue, such as the lung, colon, breast, skin, bones, or nerve tissue.
Some cancers are more common in certain parts of the world. For example, in Japan, there are many cases of gastric cancer, but in the U.S. this type of cancer is pretty rare. Differences in diet may play a role.
Breast cancer (8 images)
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Breast cancer is a cancer that starts in the tissues of the breast.Ductal carcinoma starts in the tubes(ducts) that move milk from the breast to the nipple. Most breast cancers are of this type. Reviewer: A.D.A.M. Editorial Team: David Zieve, MD, MHA, Greg Juhn, MTPW, David R. Eltz. Previously reviewed by James R. Mason, MD, Oncologist, Director, Blood and Marrow Transplantation Program and Stem Cell Processing Lab, Scripps Clinic, Torrey Pines, California.Date: 12/01/2008
Leukemia (9 images)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Leukemia is a group of bone marrow diseases involving an uncontrolled increase in white blood cells(leukocytes).For information about a specific type of leukemia, see the following:.Acute lymphocytic leukemia(ALL) Acute myelogenous leukemia(AML) C...Reviewer: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; and Yi-Bin Chen, MD, Leukemia/Bone Marrow Transplant Program, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc. Date: 03/02/2009
Lung cancer - small cell (18 images)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
It tends to spread much more quickly than non-small cell lung cancer.There are three different types of small cell lung cancer:.Small cell carcinoma(oat cell cancer) Mixed small cell/large cell carcinoma Combined small cell carcinoma.Most small ce...Reviewer: Sean O. Stitham, MD, private practice in Internal Medicine, Seattle, Washington; and James R. Mason, MD, Oncologist, Director, Blood and Marrow Transplantation Program and Stem Cell Processing Lab, Scripps Clinic, Torrey Pines, California. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 09/04/2008
Skin cancer (15 images)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Skin cancer is the uncontrolled growth of abnormal skin cells. If left unchecked, these cancer cells can spread from the skin into other tissues and organs.There are different types of skin cancer. Reviewer: Kevin Berman, MD, PhD, Associate, Atlanta Center for Dermatologic Disease, Atlanta, GA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 02/05/2008
Prostate cancer (5 images)
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Prostate cancer is cancer that grows in prostate gland. The prostate is a small, walnut-sized structure that makes up part of a man''s reproductive system. Reviewer: A.D.A.M. Editorial Team: David Zieve, MD, MHA, Greg Juhn, MTPW, David R. Eltz. Previously reviewed by James R. Mason, MD, Oncologist, Director, Blood and Marrow Transplantation Program and Stem Cell Processing Lab, Scripps Clinic, Torrey Pines, California (6/10/2008).Date: 08/07/2008
Cervical cancer (5 images)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Cervical cancer is cancer that starts in the cervix, the lower part of the uterus(womb) that opens at the top of the vagina. .Worldwide, cervical cancer is the third most common type of cancer in women. It is much les...Reviewer: Yi-Bin Chen, MD, Leukemia/Bone Marrow Transplant Program, Massachusetts General Hospital. Previously reviewed by James R. Mason, MD, Oncologist, Director, Blood and Marrow Transplantation Program and Stem Cell Processing Lab, Scripps Clinic, Torrey Pines, California; and David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc. (6/10/2008)Date: 12/24/2008
Endometrial cancer (7 images)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Endometrial cancer is cancer that starts in the endometrium, the lining of the uterus(womb).Endometrial/uterine adenocarcinoma; Uterine cancer; Adenocarcinoma of the endometrium/uterus; Cancer- uterine; Cancer- endometrial; Uterine corpus cancer.E...Reviewer: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; and Susan Storck, MD, FACOG, Clinical Teaching Faculty, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Washington School of Medicine; Chief, Eastside Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound, Redmond, Washington. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc. Date: 05/02/2008
Colon cancer (11 images)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Colon cancer is cancer that starts in the large intestine(colon) or the rectum(end of the colon). Such cancer is sometimes referred to as"colorectal cancer.".Other types of colon cancer such as lymphoma, carcinoid tumors, melanoma, and sarcomas ar...Reviewer: Stephen Gund, MD, PhD, Chief of Hematology/Oncology and Director of the George Bray Cancer Center at New Britain General Hospital, New Britain, CT. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 03/24/2008
Bladder cancer (3 images)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Bladder cancer is a cancerous tumor in the bladder-- the organ that holds urine.In the United States, bladder cancers usually start from the cells lining the bladder(transitional cells).These tumors may be classified based on the way they grow:.Pa...Reviewer: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; Yi-Bin Chen, MD, Leukemia/Bone Marrow Transplant Program, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 02/12/2009
Ovarian cancer (8 images)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Ovarian cancer is cancer that starts in the ovaries. The ovaries are the female reproductive organs that produce eggs.Ovarian cancer is the fifth most common cancer among women, and it causes more deaths than any other type of female reproductive ...Reviewer: Yi-Bin Chen, MD, Leukemia/Bone Marrow Transplant Program, Massachusetts General Hospital. Previously reviewed by James R. Mason, MD, Oncologist, Director, Blood and Marrow Transplantation Program and Stem Cell Processing Lab, Scripps Clinic, Torrey Pines, California; and David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc. (6/10/2008)Date: 12/24/2008
Esophageal cancer (2 images)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Esophageal cancer is a malignant(cancerous) tumor of the esophagus, the muscular tube that moves food from the mouth to the stomach.Reviewer: A.D.A.M. Editorial Team: David Zieve, MD, MHA, Greg Juhn, MTPW, David R. Eltz. Previously reviewed by Mark Levin, MD, Hematologist and Oncologist, Newark, NJ. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network (4/8/2008).Date: 07/22/2008
Oral cancer (2 images)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Cancer- mouth; Mouth cancer; Head and neck cancer; Squamous cell cancer- mouth.Oral cancer most commonly involves the tissue of the lips or the tongue. It may also occur on the floor of the mouth, cheek lining, gums(gingiva), or roof of the mouth(...Reviewer: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; Yi-Bin Chen, MD, Leukemia/Bone Marrow Transplant Program, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 02/12/2009
Pancreatic carcinoma (4 images)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Pancreatic carcinoma is cancer of the pancreas. Pancreatic cancer; Cancer - pancreasPancreatic cancer is slightly more common in men than in women. Reviewer: Sean O. Stitham, MD, private practice in Internal Medicine, Seattle, Washington. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 08/17/2008
Thyroid cancer (4 images)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Thyroid cancer is a cancerous growth of the thyroid gland.Reviewer: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; Yi-Bin Chen, MD, Leukemia/Bone Marrow Transplant Program, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 02/12/2009
Testicular cancer (2 images)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Testicular cancer is cancer that starts in the testicles, the male reproductive glands located in the scrotum.Cancer- testes; Germ cell tumor; Seminoma testicular cancer; Nonseminoma testicular cancer.The exact cause of testicular cancer is unknow...Reviewer: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; Yi-Bin Chen, MD, Leukemia/Bone Marrow Transplant Program, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 04/05/2009
Gastric cancer (3 images)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Gastric cancer is cancer that starts in the stomach.Cancer- stomach; Stomach cancer; Gastric carcinoma; Adenocarcinoma of the stomach.Several different types of cancer can occur in the stomach. The most common type is called adenocarcinoma, which ...Reviewer: Sean O. Stitham, MD, private practice in Internal Medicine, Seattle, Washington; and James R. Mason, MD, Oncologist, Director, Blood and Marrow Transplantation Program and Stem Cell Processing Lab, Scripps Clinic, Torrey Pines, California. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc. Date: 09/04/2008
Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (2 images)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Non-Hodgkin''s lymphoma is cancer of the lymphoid tissue, which includes the lymph nodes, spleen, and other organs of the immune system.Lymphoma- non-Hodgkin''s; Lymphocytic lymphoma; Histiocytic lymphoma; Lymphoblastic lymphoma; Cancer- non-Hodgkin...Reviewer: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; Yi-Bin Chen, MD, Leukemia/Bone Marrow Transplant Program, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 02/12/2009
Hepatocellular carcinoma (3 images)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Primary liver cell carcinoma; Tumor- liver; Liver cancer; Cancer- liver.Hepatocellular carcinoma accounts for 80- 90% of all liver cancers. This type of cancer occurs more often in men than women. Reviewer: Sean O. Stitham, MD, private practice in Internal Medicine, Seattle, Washington; and James R. Mason, MD, Oncologist, Director, Blood and Marrow Transplantation Program and Stem Cell Processing Lab, Scripps Clinic, Torrey Pines, California. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 09/04/2008
Cancer - penis (2 images)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Cancer of the penis is cancer that starts in the penis, an organ that makes up part of the male reproductive system.Reviewer: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; and James R. Mason, MD, Oncologist, Director, Blood and Marrow Transplantation Program and Stem Cell Processing Lab, Scripps Clinic, Torrey Pines, California. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 11/10/2008
Vaginal tumors (3 images)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
A vaginal tumor is an abnormal growth of tissue in the vagina, a female reproductive organ.Most cancerous vaginal tumors occur when another cancer, such as cervical or endometrial cancer, spreads. This is called secondary vaginal cancer.Primary va...Reviewer: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; and James R. Mason, MD, Oncologist, Director, Blood and Marrow Transplantation Program and Stem Cell Processing Lab, Scripps Clinic, Torrey Pines, California. Also reviewed byDavid Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 06/10/2008
Diet - cancer treatment(Doctor-Reviewed information)
People with cancer need special nutritional planning and management.People with cancer are at risk for developing nutritional deficiencies. The deficiencies may be the result of the cancer itself, or the side effects of common cancer treatments su...Reviewer: Patrika Tsai, M.D., M.P.H., Assistant Clinical Professor, Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 07/22/2008
Cancer - resources(Doctor-Reviewed information)
The following organizations are good resources for information on cancer: American Cancer Society - www.cancer.org; Cancer Care - www.cancercare.org; National Cancer Institute - www.cancer.gov. Reviewer: Jennifer K. Mannheim, CPNP, private practice, Seattle, Washington. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 10/18/2008
Cancer treatment information(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Kill or remove cancer cells Prevent or delay the cancer from coming back Treat cancer symptoms(if the cancer can not be cured).The types of treatment depend on the specific type of cancer, but may include:.You may receive more than one type of tre...Reviewer: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 10/18/2008
Cell phones - do they cause cancer?(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Cancer and cell phonesSeveral major studies show no link between cell phones and cancer at this time. However, since the information available is based on short-term studies, the impact of many years of exposure is not known. Reviewer: Daniel B. Hoch, PhD, MD, Assistant Professor of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 09/23/2008
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