In the course of a lifetime, 39.5% of men and women will be diagnosed with cancer, which is one of the leading health issues in the world.

Cancer isn’t a single disease, but instead a set of diseases and conditions. Learning about the different types of cancer is important so that you can catch it early, giving you the best chance of survival. There are over a hundred individual cancer illnesses, but for the purpose of this we’ll break it down into 4 overall types.

Different Types of Cancer

In broad terms, there are four types of cancer to which all other cancers belong to. These are Carcinomas, Sarcomas, Leukemia, and Lymphoma/Myeloma. Each one of these types affects a different area of the body or a different system in the body.

1. Carcinoma

The term carcinoma is used to describe a large variety of cancer diagnoses. It is a type of cancer that affects tissue cells. This can be the various forms of skin cancer, but also the tissues around organs and other major internal parts of you.

Carcinoma is the largest and most common type of cancer that you can get. It covers the basic cancers we think about, such as skin cancer, breast cancer, and organ cancers like prostate and liver cancers.

2. Sarcomas

A sarcoma is a cancer that attacks connective tissues such as ligaments, bones, and tendons. Sarcomas can be difficult to treat and can lead to amputation and death. As with all cancers, early detection is key to limiting the mortality rate and treating cancer.

3. Leukemia

Leukemia is a cancer of the bone marrow that produces red blood cells. There are a large number of varieties when it comes to Leukemia, some hereditary and others environmental. This may lead you to wonder, how is cancer treated?

Often bone marrow transplants and other extreme solutions exist to treat cancer like Leukemia. This removes the diseased marrow so that fresh marrow can produce red blood cells. Radiation and chemotherapy are also common treatments.

4. Lymphoma/Myeloma

Lymphoma and Myeloma are cancers that are caused by mutations in the immune system. This makes them difficult to treat. The body doesn’t do much to assist in the treatment and so often patients deal with Lymphomas over an extended period of time.

Another area that Lymphoma targets are the lymphatic system. This is a system of glands and fluid that runs throughout the body and forms an important part of our immune system.

What Causes Cancer

There is no one thing that causes cancer. Some are caused by environmental factors, some are hereditary and others are a complete surprise with no explanation. Using certain medications can cause cancer and some help treat it, learn more about Premarin here.

Different Types of Cancer

Knowing the different types of cancer will help you identify potential problems in your health. If you’ve enjoyed reading this article please take a moment and check out our website. There we have a lot of information about various illnesses.