Wellness Center


Men's Health


Common Types of Cancer

Common types of carcinomas Since your body is made up entirely of cells, you could, potentially, experience abnormal cells and/or cell division anywhere in your body. Therefore, cancer could originate anywhere in your body.

The technical names for cancer are based on where the cancer originates and the type of cell involved in the cancer. If the cancer metastasizes (spreads) anywhere else in your body, it still has the same cell structure, and will be referred to as the cancer of origin.

Cancer Prefixes Say, for example, that you develop cancer of a breast gland (adenocarcinoma). If it metastasizes (spreads) to your brain or your lymph nodes, it’s still breast cancer.

Some experts say that people have cancerous cells many times in their lives, but they never “get” cancer because their healthy immune system destroys the mutant cells before a tumor is detected or affects any other part of your body.

Resources:

To find out how to boost your immune system and reduce your risk of cancer, see these websites:

Cancer Research and Prevention Foundation
National Cancer Institute
American Cancer Society

Source:

1. Common Cancer Types. National Cancer Institute. 

Written by: Paula Wart
Date Published: March 22,2002 Date Reviewed: June 04,2007
Disclaimer:

This information is provided for educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice or diagnosis of specific medical conditions. You should seek prompt professional medical attention if you have a particular concern about your health or specific symptoms. Wellsource, Inc. is not liable for any health consequences resulting from your use of this site.

 

© 2007 Wellsource, Inc.