Cancer Types - NBC12.com - Richmond, VA News

  • Cancer Types

  • Breast cancer is a common malignancy, with ~180,000 new cases diagnosed in the United States each year.The disease occurs most frequently in women and rarely, in men. The breasts are glands that produce and release milk in women in association with pregnancy. Breast cancer develops from cells in the breast.

  • The colon and rectum are parts of the body's digestive system and together form a long, muscular tube called the large intestine. The colon is the first 6 feet of the large intestine and the rectum is the last 8-10 inches. Treatment approaches differ between cancers of the colon or rectum and are, therefore, discussed separately.

  • Head and neck cancers originate in the throat, larynx (voice box), pharynx, salivary glands, or oral cavity (lip, mouth, tongue). In 1999, there were 500,000 cases of head and neck cancers worldwide. Most head and neck cancers involve squamous cells, which are cells that line the mouth, throat, or other structures.

  • While there are more than a dozen different kinds of lung cancer, the two main types of lung cancer are non small cell and small cell, which together account for over 90% of all lung cancers. Non small cell lung cancer accounts for approximately 75% of these cancers and consists of squamous cell, adenocarcinoma and large cell types

  • In order to understand the best treatment options available for treatment of rectal cancer, it is important to first determine where the cancer has spread in the body. The initial spread of rectal cancer occurs circumferentially around the rectum and laterally into the adjacent fat and muscles. Rectal cancer can then invade nearby organs and spread through the lymph and blood systems.

  • Melanoma arises from melanocytes, which are cells located in the upper layer of the skin that are responsible for producing pigment (skin color). Most melanomas are dark in color (black/brown) because they contain pigment; however, some melanomas do not contain pigment (amelanotic malignant melanoma) and are difficult to diagnose.

  • Cancers that begin in cells of the lymph system are referred to as malignant lymphomas. The lymph system includes the spleen, thymus, tonsils, bone marrow, lymph nodes and circulating white blood cells called lymphocytes. Lymphocytes and the lymph system are part of the immune system that protects the body from disease and infection.

  • The prostate is a male sex gland responsible for producing fluid that forms semen. It is located below the bladder, in front of the rectum and surrounds the urethra. The prostate is divided into three zones enclosed by a capsule. The prostate capsule separates the prostate from the rest of the body.

  • Leukemia is a cancer of the blood cells. There are many different types of leukemia, depending upon which specific blood cells are affected. Each leukemia has different disease characteristics and therefore different treatment options. Several clinical diagnostic tests are utilized in order to determine the type and extent of leukemia. In order to better understand leukemia and its treatment, a basic understanding of normal blood cell production is useful.

  • Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a group of diseases marked by abnormal production of blood cells by the bone marrow. Healthy bone marrow produces immature blood cells—called blasts—that then develop into red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. MDS disrupts this normal process so that the bone marrow is overactive, producing many immature cells. These blasts, however, do not fully develop into mature blood cells.