Types of Cancer Flashcards
What are the 5 main groups of cancer?
1) carcinoma
2) sarcoma
3) leukaemia
4) lymphoma and myeloma
5) brain and spinal cord cancers
What is carcinoma?
This cancer begins in the skin or in tissues that line or cover internal organs and cavities.
There are different subtypes, including adenocarcinoma, basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and transitional cell carcinoma
What is sarcoma?
This cancer begins in the connective or supportive tissues such as bone, cartilage, fat, muscle or blood vessels
What is leukaemia?
This is cancer of the white blood cells.
It starts in the tissues that make blood cells such as the bone marrow. The bone marrow makes too many white blood cells. The blood cells are not fully formed and so they don’t work properly. The abnormal cells build up in the blood.
Leukaemias are uncommon. They make up only 3% of all cancer cases. But they are the most common type of cancer in children.
What are lymphoma and myeloma? Describe where each one starts.
These cancers begin in the cells of the immune system (lymphatic system)
The lymphatic system is a system of tubes and glands in the body that filters body fluid and fights infection.
Lymphomas
- Starts in the lymph glands or cells of the lymphatic system (lymphocytes)
- Lymphocytes start to divide in an abnormal way and don’t die as they should. These cells start to divide before they become fully grown so they can’t fight infection.
- The lymphatic system runs all through the body so lymphoma can start just about anywhere.
- Lymphomas make up about 5% of cases in the UK.
Myeloma
- Myeloma is a cancer that starts in plasma cells.
- Plasma cells are a type of white blood cell made in the bone marrow. They produce antibodies, also called immunoglobulins, to help fight infection.
- Plasma cells can become abnormal and multiply out of control. They make a type of antibody that doesn’t work properly to fight infection.
- Myeloma makes up about 2% of cases in the UK.
What are brain and spinal cord cancers?
These are known as central nervous system cancers
The most common type of brain tumour develops from glial cells It called glioma
- Glial cells are special connective tissue cells that support the nerve cells
Some tumours that start in the brain or spinal cord are non cancerous (benign) and grow very slowly. Others are cancerous and tend to grow and spread
Brain and spinal cord tumours make up about 3% of cases in the UK.
What is the most common type of cancer?
Carcinomas
They include many breast, lung, bowel and prostate cancers.
What is squamous cell carcinoma?
Squamous cell carcinoma starts in squamous cells.
These are the flat, surface covering cells found in areas such as the skin or the lining of the throat or food pipe (oesophagus).
What is Adenocarcinoma?
Adenocarcinomas start in glandular cells called adenomatous cells. Glandular cells produce fluids to keep tissues moist.
What is Transitional cell carcinoma?
Transitional cells are cells that can stretch as an organ expands.
They make up tissues called transitional epithelium. An example is the lining of the bladder. Cancers that start in these cells are called transitional cell carcinoma.
What is basal cell carcinoma?
Basal cells line the deepest layer of skin cells. Cancers that start in these cells are called basal cell carcinomas.
What are sarcomas?
Sarcomas start in connective tissues. These are the supporting tissues of the body. Connective tissues include the bones, cartilage, tendons and fibrous tissue that support organs.
Sarcomas are much less common than carcinomas. There are 2 main types:
1) bone sarcomas
- Sarcomas of bone start from bone cells.
2) soft tissue sarcomas
- Rare but the most common types start in cartilage or muscle.
These make up less than 1 in every 100 cancers (1%) diagnosed every year.
Chondrosarcoma is a cancer of what?
Cancer of the cartilage
Rhabdomyosarcoma or leiomyosarcoma is a cancer of what?
Cancer of muscle cells
