What is cancer? Cancer is a disease in which some of the body’s cells grow uncontrollably and spread to other parts of the body. One of the causes of this life-threatening disease is Cancer cells. Cancer cells are cells that divide relentlessly, forming solid tumors or flooding the blood with abnormal cells. In our body, cell division is processed for growth and repair. But in this case, normal and healthy cells stop dividing when there is no longer a need but cancer cells continue to produce copies. Cancer cells are also able to spread from one part of the body to another in a process known as metastasis.
Different types of cancer cells cause different kinds of cancer including Carcinoma, Leukemia, Lymphoma, Myeloma, Sarcoma, and Mesothelioma.
Carcinoma is the most common type of cancer. It begins in the epithelial tissue of the skin, or in the tissue that lines internal organs, such as the liver or kidneys. The disease has various forms, including:
Carcinoma in situ which is early-stage cancer is confined to the layer of tissue from which it started and has not spread to surrounding tissue or other parts of the body. Invasive carcinoma, which is cancer that has spread beyond the primary tissue layer to surrounding tissue. Metastatic carcinoma, cancer that has spread throughout the body to other tissues. Carcinoma cancer includes Renal cell carcinoma (kidney cancer), Ductal carcinoma in situ (breast cancer), Basal cell carcinoma (a most common type of skin cancer), etc.
Leukemia is the general name given to a group of cancers that develop in the bone marrow. Most cases of leukemia originate in developing white cells. In some cases, leukemia develops in other blood-forming cells, for example in developing red cells or developing platelets. Leukemia can be either myeloid or lymphocytic, which refers to the types of cells in which leukemia first started. Myeloid stem cells develop into red cells, white cells (neutrophils, eosinophils, basophils, and monocytes), and platelets while Lymphoid stem cells develop in two other types of white cells called T-lymphocytes and B-lymphocytes.
Lymphoma is a cancer of the lymphatic system, which is part of the body's germ-fighting network. The lymphatic system includes the lymph nodes (lymph glands), spleen, thymus gland, and bone marrow. Lymphoma can affect all those areas as well as other organs throughout the body. There are many forms of lymphoma but the main subtypes are Hodgkin's lymphoma (formerly called Hodgkin's disease) and Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
Myeloma or multiple myeloma is a type of cancer that affects the bone marrow tissue at the center of bones that produces the body's blood cells. Its other name, multiple myeloma came from the fact that this type of cancer often affects several areas of the body, such as the spine, skull, pelvis, and ribs.
Sarcoma is a type of cancer that can occur in various locations in your body and it is the term for a broad group of cancers that begin in the bones and the soft/connective tissues. Soft tissue sarcoma forms in the tissues that connect, support, and surround other body structures which include muscle, fat, blood vessels, nerves, tendons, and the lining of joints. There are more than 70 types of sarcoma.
Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that occurs in the thin layer of tissue that covers the majority of your internal organs (mesothelium). It is a deadly form of cancer. Treatments for mesothelioma are available, but for many people with mesothelioma, there is no cure. Mesothelioma is divided into different types based on what part of the mesothelium is affected. It most often affects the pleura (the tissue that surrounds the lungs) and this type is known as pleural mesothelioma. There are rarer types of mesothelioma, which is peritoneal mesothelioma, that affects tissue in the abdomen, around the heart, and the testicles.
“What Is Cancer?” National Cancer Institute, www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/understanding/what-is-cancer.
“Cancer Cell.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 16 May 2021, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cancer_cell.
“Carcinoma - Types and Treatment Options.” Cancer Treatment Centers of America, 23 June 2021, www.cancercenter.com/carcinoma.
“Leukaemia.” Leukaemia Foundation, 1 Oct. 2020, www.leukaemia.org.au/blood-cancer-information/types-of-blood-cancer/leukaemia/.
“Lymphoma.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 18 May 2021, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/lymphoma/symptoms-causes/syc-20352638.
NHS Choices, NHS, www.nhs.uk/conditions/multiple-myeloma/.
“Sarcoma.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 5 Dec. 2020, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/sarcoma/symptoms-causes/syc-20351048#:~:text=Sarcoma%20is%20a%20type%20of,tissues%20(soft%20tissue%20sarcoma).
“Mesothelioma.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 20 Oct. 2020, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/mesothelioma/symptoms-causes/syc-20375022.
Written by: Sonalen Saing
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