What Are the Main Types of Cancer?

Introduction

Cancer is one of the complex and diverse diseases caused by uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells. It can originate from practically any tissue of a human body, and in fact, it represents many different diseases which all have their own features and ways of treatment. Cancer includes several significant types that are important to be known for early detection, diagnosis, and effective treatment. This broad overview will be our gateway to an overview of the main categories of cancers, represented by carcinomas, sarcomas, leukemias, lymphomas, myelomas, and brain and spinal cord cancers.

What is Cancer?

Genetic alterations in normal cells confer on them the ability to grow in an unregulated manner, avoiding natural defense mechanisms of the human body. These abnormal cells can sometimes form tumors, invade nearby tissues, and finally metastasize to other parts of the body via the bloodstream or lymphatic system. While some of these tumors are benign and do not give rise to a metastatic phenotype, some malignant tumors can be life-threatening and require immediate medical attention.

What are the major types of cancer?

Cancer in general falls into a few major categories, based on the kind of cell or tissue it arises from. Each category includes different types of cancer, all of which are unique in certain features and characteristics of behavior.

1) Carcinomas

Overall, carcinomas account for about 85-90% of all types of cancer cases. They are usually derived from epithelial cells, which line the inner and outer tissue layers in the body. They have the potential to affect many organs, such as skin, lungs, breasts, colon, prostate, and pancreas. The subtypes that make carcinomas include:

• Adenocarcinoma: It is an adenocarcinoma, and by definition, it means a carcinoma that develops in the tissues of glands. It is very common in the lungs, breasts, prostate, and colon.
• Squamous cell carcinoma: Such type of cancer is generally developed in the skin, lungs, oesophagus, and cervix, and actually, it originates from the squamous cells.
• Basal cell carcinoma: Basal cell carcinoma accounts for the majority of all cases of skin cancer and is usually caused by exposure to excessive UV radiation.

Characteristically, carcinomas are able to form solid tumours and invade local tissues. Early diagnosis and treatment can ensure better chances of survival and limit further metastasis.

Also Read: Cancer prevention tips to reduce the cancer risk

2) Sarcomas

Sarcomas are types of cancers, rare and very diverse in their origin, arising from the connective tissues of the body: bones, muscles, fat, blood vessels, and cartilage. Sarcoma cancers represent less than 1% of all cases of cancers. Individually, however, some sarcomas can be really aggressive and hard to cure. There are two main categories for sarcomas:

• Soft Tissue Sarcomas: These cancers develop in soft tissues, which include muscles, tendons, fat, and blood vessels. Examples are liposarcoma, which grows in the fat tissue; leiomyosarcoma, growing in the smooth muscle; and angiosarcoma, growing in blood vessels.
• Bone Sarcomas: These are cancers growing in the bones, and they include osteosarcoma, which is the most common and mainly affects children and young adults, and chondrosarcoma, which arises from the cartilage.

Sarcomas affect all age groups of human beings and almost always require surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy in combination to effectively treat them.

Also Read: Stomach cancer: overview, causes and symptoms

3) Leukemias

Leukemias are cancers that generally affect blood and bone marrow. Specifically, they involve unregulated replication of abnormal white blood cells. Unlike other forms of cancer, the leukemia cancer does not make up formed tumors but rather the blood cells in production and functioning. Types of leukemia include:

• Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL): This mainly occurs in children and if left untreated progresses very first.
• AML (Acute Myeloid Leukemia): This type of leukemia can occur in both children and adults. It is characterized by the rapid growth of myeloid cells in the bone marrow.
• CLL, or Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia: It is the most common form of leukemia in adults and progresses rather slowly.
• CML, or Chronic Myeloid Leukemia: Characterized by a presence of a Philadelphia chromosome, this mainly affects adults.

Chemotherapy, radiotherapy, bone marrow transplantation, etc., are some of the possible treatments available in the case of leukemia.

4) Lymphomas

Lymphomas are cancers that originate in the lymphatic system, a part of the immune system that includes the lymph nodes, spleen, thymus, and bone marrow. There are two major types of lymphoma cancers:

• Hodgkin Lymphoma: This type of lymphoma contains Reed-Sternberg cells and usually affects young adults more. HL is curable, especially when detected at an early stage.
• Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma: The term NHL actually refers to a heterogeneous group of lymphomas, many of which have variable behavior and prognosis. Some of the common subtypes include diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and follicular lymphoma.

Chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and immunotherapy may be used in treating lymphomas, depending on the type and stage.

Also Read: Oral cancer: Overview, causes, symptoms and treatment

5) Myeloma

Myeloma, otherwise known as multiple myeloma, is a form of cancer that originates in the plasma cells. These are a type of white blood cell responsible for producing antibodies. Myeloma basically affects the bone marrow and results in bone pain or fractures, anemia, and kidney damage. Basically, this cancer is characterized by abnormal plasma cells that multiply uncontrolledly, therefore producing abnormal excessive amounts of antibodies.

Most treatments of myeloma involve combinations of chemotherapy, corticosteroids, immunomodulatory drugs, and targeted therapies. Stem cell transplantation may also be considered for eligible patients.

6) Brain and Spinal Cord

Brain and spinal cord cancers are types of central nervous system cancers, relatively very uncommon, although at the same time, very aggressive and difficult to treat. The brain and spinal cord are their primary areas of origin; therefore, they disturb vital functions such as motion, sensation, and other cognitive operations. The most common CNS cancers are:

• Gliomas: These start in the glial cells of the brain and include astrocytomas, oligodendrogliomas, and glioblastomas.
• Meningiomas: These tumors develop in the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, the meninges.
• Medulloblastomas: These are the type of tumors originating in that part of the brain responsible for coordination and balance—called the cerebellum—and are the most common in children.

Standard treatment for most CNS cancers involves surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. Targeted therapies and immunotherapies have also recently been developed with quite promising results in treating such complex cancers.

Also Read: Stages of Cancer and Treatments For Different Stages

Conclusion

Therefore, it is a complex disease with so many forms and types that the diagnosis and cure for each of them require a different form of treatment. Knowing the major kinds of cancer, such as carcinomas, sarcomas, leukemias, lymphomas, myelomas, brain and spinal cord cancers, helps to improve the fate of a patient and offer the best possible care to him or her. Early detection, coupled with the research being undertaken and the technological advancements in medicine, would keep raising our ability to fight cancer and improve the quality of life for those affected by the illness.

Get our easy-to-use Truemeds app for affordable medicines. Just upload your prescription to access both brand-name and substitute drugs. Save money on your purchases and enjoy the added convenience of free home delivery on eligible orders across India*.

Disclaimer 

The information in this article has been checked for accuracy, but it’s best to talk to a doctor before trying any medicines, supplements, or information mentioned here.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

References

• Cooper, G. M. (2000). The Development and Causes of Cancer. The Cell – NCBI Bookshelf. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK9963/ 
• Carbone, A. (2020). Cancer Classification at the Crossroads. Cancers, 12(4), 980. https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers12040980 
• Understanding Cancer. (2007). NIH Curriculum Supplement Series – NCBI Bookshelf. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK20362/ 
• Zhang, P. W., Chen, L., Huang, T., Zhang, N., Kong, X. Y., & Cai, Y. D. (2015). Classifying Ten Types of Major Cancers Based on Reverse Phase Protein Array Profiles. PloS One, 10(3), e0123147. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0123147 
• Idikio, H. A. (2011). Human Cancer Classification: A Systems Biology- Based Model Integrating Morphology, Cancer Stem Cells, Proteomics, and Genomics. Journal of Cancer, 2, 107–115. https://doi.org/10.7150/jca.2.107