Common Types of Cancer

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“Cancer is a class of diseases characterized by out-of-control cell growth. There are over 100 different types of cancer, and each is classified by the type of cell that is initially affected” (What Is Cancer? What Causes Cancer?,1). Most cancers harm the body when cells begin to divide and form lumps of tissue called tumors. However, leukemia affects cells in the blood stream. While some tumors can grow to affect many different systems in the body, some are not dangerous and are referred to as benign tumors. There are many types of cancer, some more dangerous than others. Those among the most frequently diagnosed include breast cancer, ovarian cancer, renal cancer, colon and rectal cancer, and lung cancer.
Breast cancer is characterized by a malignant, or cancerous, tumor that develops in the cells of the breast. In most cases of breast cancer, the cancer begins in the cells of the milk producing ducts. If these cancerous cells make their way to other uninfected breast tissue, they can travel to the lymph nodes under the arms. Once inside the lymph nodes, the cancer has a way to spread to other parts of the body. The stages of breast cancer are determined by how far the cancer cells have spread beyond the original tumor. Many women diagnosed with breast cancer report that the first sign is a lump of tissue felt on the breast. Even so, most women brush off such lumps and do not get tested in time. Other symptoms of this type of cancer include swelling of all or part of the breast, skin irritation, breast pain, or a lump in the underarm area. It is possible, though, that some of these symptoms could signal something less serious like a cyst. “About 1 in 8 U.S. women (just under 12%) will develop invasive breast cancer over the cou...

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...mptoms/understand_bc/statistics
No Author. (2013). Statistics. Retrieved on February 4, 2014, from http://www.ovariancancer.org/about-ovarian-cancer/statistics/
No Author. (2013). Lung Cancer. Retrieved on February 4, 2014, from http://www.cancer.org/cancer/lungcancer-non-smallcell/detailedguide/non-small-cell-lung-cancer-key-statistics
No Author. (2013). What is kidney cancer? Retrieved on February 4, 2014, from http://www.cancer.org/cancer/kidneycancer/detailedguide/kidney-cancer-adult-what-is-kidney-cancer
No Author. (2013). What is colorectal cancer? Retrieved on February 4, 2014, from http://www.cancer.org/cancer/colonandrectumcancer/detailedguide/colorectal-cancer-what-is-colorectal-cancer
No Author. (2013). Treatment types. Retrieved on February 4, 2014, from http://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatmentsandsideeffects/treatmenttypes/treatment-types-landing

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