Common Cancer Types and Information
Lung Cancer
What it is: Cancer of the lungs; main types are non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) (≈85%) and small cell lung cancer (SCLC) (≈15%).
Why it happens / Risk factors: Cigarette smoking (the dominant risk), secondhand smoke, radon exposure, air pollution, occupational exposures (asbestos, chemicals), genetic susceptibility, prior lung disease.
Prevention / Risk reduction: Avoid smoking or quit, avoid secondhand smoke, reduce exposure to radon, follow occupational safety rules, maintain healthy lifestyle, possibly screening (low dose CT) in high-risk populations.
Treatment: Surgery (for early-stage NSCLC), radiation therapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy for tumors with driver mutations (e.g. EGFR, ALK), immunotherapy (checkpoint inhibitors), or combinations depending on stage.
Prostate Cancer
What it is: Cancer arising in the prostate gland in men, often slow-growing.
Why it happens / Risk factors: Age (risk rises after ~50), family history, race (higher risk in Black men), hormonal factors (androgens), obesity, genetic mutations (e.g. BRCA, DNA repair genes).
Prevention / Risk reduction: No guaranteed prevention. Some strategies: healthy diet, exercise, maintaining normal body weight, avoiding smoking. In men at high risk, medical consultation for preventive strategies.
Treatment: Active surveillance for low-risk cases, surgery (prostatectomy), radiation therapy, androgen deprivation / hormone therapy, chemotherapy (in advanced cases), targeted therapy (e.g. PARP inhibitors in matching genetic profiles).
Breast Cancer
What it is: Cancer originating in breast tissue, most commonly in the ducts (ductal carcinoma) or lobules (lobular carcinoma).
Why it happens / Risk factors: Genetic mutations (e.g. BRCA1, BRCA2), family history, hormonal exposures (early menstruation, late menopause, hormone replacement therapy), obesity (especially after menopause), alcohol consumption, radiation exposure, and dense breast tissue.
Prevention / Risk reduction: Maintain healthy weight, exercise regularly, limit alcohol, avoid unnecessary hormone therapy, breastfeed if possible, regular screening (mammograms, clinical exams), genetic counseling for high-risk individuals.
Treatment: Surgery (lumpectomy or mastectomy), radiation therapy, chemotherapy, hormone therapy (for hormone-receptor positive tumors), targeted therapy (e.g. HER2-targeted agents), and immunotherapy in certain subtypes.
Colorectal Cancer (Colon & Rectal)
What it is: Cancer of the colon or rectum, often arises from polyps over time.
Why it happens / Risk factors: Age, family history or hereditary syndromes (Lynch, familial adenomatous polyposis), diet high in red/processed meat, low fiber intake, obesity, sedentary lifestyle, smoking, alcohol, inflammatory bowel disease.
Prevention / Risk reduction: Diet rich in fiber, fruits, vegetables; limit red/processed meats; regular physical activity; maintain healthy weight; quit smoking; limit alcohol; screening (colonoscopy, stool tests) and removal of precancerous polyps.
Treatment: Surgery (remove tumor and lymph nodes), radiation therapy (especially rectal cancer), chemotherapy (adjuvant or neoadjuvant), targeted therapy (e.g. bevacizumab, cetuximab), immunotherapy in cases with high microsatellite instability (MSI-high).
Skin Cancer
What it is: Cancers arising in skin cells. Common types: basal cell carcinoma (BCC), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), and melanoma (the most aggressive).
Why it happens / Risk factors: Ultraviolet (UV) exposure (sunlight, tanning beds), fair skin, many moles, family history of melanoma, immunosuppression, history of sunburns.
Prevention / Risk reduction: Avoid excessive sun, use broad-spectrum sunscreen, wear protective clothing and hats, avoid tanning beds, regular examination of skin for new or changing lesions.
Treatment: Surgical excision, Mohs surgery (especially for BCC/SCC in high-risk areas), radiation in some cases, topical treatments (for superficial types), immunotherapy (for advanced melanoma), targeted therapy (e.g. BRAF/MEK inhibitors in melanoma with mutations).
Leukemia
What it is: Cancer of the blood-forming cells in bone marrow, leading to abnormal white blood cells. Types include acute lymphoblastic (ALL), acute myeloid (AML), chronic lymphocytic (CLL), chronic myeloid (CML).
Why it happens / Risk factors: Genetic mutations, prior chemotherapy or radiation exposure, certain inherited syndromes, exposure to benzene or other chemicals, smoking, viral infections (in some cases).
Prevention / Risk reduction: Many risk factors are nonmodifiable. Reducing exposure to known carcinogens (e.g. benzene, radiation) may help. Monitoring after high-risk exposures.
Treatment: Chemotherapy, targeted therapies (e.g. tyrosine kinase inhibitors in CML), immunotherapy (e.g. monoclonal antibodies, CAR T cell therapy), stem cell (bone marrow) transplant in appropriate patients.
Lymphoma
What it is: Cancer of lymphatic system (lymphocytes). Two major types: Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL).
Why it happens / Risk factors: Immune system dysfunction, certain viral infections (e.g. EBV, HIV, HTLV), immunosuppression, genetic predisposition, certain chemicals, older age.
Prevention / Risk reduction: There are no guaranteed prevention methods. Maintaining immune health, reducing exposure to viruses (HIV prevention, treating infections), avoiding immunosuppression when possible.
Treatment: Chemotherapy, radiation therapy, targeted therapy (e.g. monoclonal antibodies), immunotherapy, and stem cell transplant in relapsed or high-risk cases.
Pancreatic Cancer
What it is: Cancer arising in the pancreas, often in the exocrine cells (ductal adenocarcinoma).
Why it happens / Risk factors: Smoking, obesity, chronic pancreatitis, long-standing diabetes, family history and inherited mutations (e.g. BRCA, Lynch), exposure to chemicals, age.
Prevention / Risk reduction: Quit smoking, maintain healthy weight, control diabetes, avoid heavy alcohol use, healthy diet, minimize exposure to toxins.
Treatment: Surgical resection (e.g. Whipple procedure) in eligible patients, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, targeted therapies (e.g. for BRCA-mutated tumors), immunotherapy in selected cases, palliative care where appropriate.
Ovarian Cancer
What it is: Cancer originating in the ovaries or related structures (fallopian tubes, peritoneum).
Why it happens / Risk factors: Age (postmenopausal risk), inherited gene mutations (BRCA1, BRCA2, Lynch syndrome), early menarche / late menopause, nulliparity (never having given birth), endometriosis, family history.
Prevention / Risk reduction: Use of oral contraceptives (in many women lowers risk), having children, breastfeeding, risk-reducing surgery in high-risk women (e.g. prophylactic oophorectomy), genetic counseling/testing.
Treatment: Surgery (remove ovaries, tumor, possible staging), chemotherapy, targeted therapy (e.g. PARP inhibitors in appropriate genetic contexts), hormone therapy in some cases, and investigational immunotherapies.
Liver Cancer (Hepatocellular Carcinoma)
What it is: Primary cancer of the liver (often hepatocellular carcinoma).
Why it happens / Risk factors: Chronic hepatitis B or C infection, cirrhosis (from alcohol, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease), aflatoxin exposure, obesity/nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), alcohol abuse, smoking, certain inherited liver diseases.
Prevention / Risk reduction: Vaccination against hepatitis B, treatment of chronic hepatitis B/C, reduce alcohol consumption, maintain healthy weight, manage fatty liver disease, avoid aflatoxin exposure, refrain from smoking.
Treatment: Surgery (partial hepatectomy), liver transplant (for eligible patients), ablation techniques (e.g. radiofrequency ablation), targeted therapies (e.g. sorafenib, lenvatinib), immunotherapy, and combinations depending on stage.