List of Cancer Types and their Location

This is a list of all 200+ of the known different cancer types. Also included is where they are located on or in the body. Some locations are pretty obvious while others, not so much.

A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z  Pin

A

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) - the bone marrow makes too many lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell)

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) - the bone marrow makes abnormal myeloblasts (a type of white blood cell), red blood cells, or platelets

Adrenocortical carcinoma - forms in the outer layer of the adrenal gland

AIDS-related lymphoma - forms in the lymph system of patients who have acquired immunodeficiancy syndrome (AIDS)

Anal cancer - forms in the tissues of the anus

Appendix cancer - slow-growing tumors that form in the appendix

Astrocytomas - benign (noncancer) or malignant cells form in the tissues of the brain

Atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor - forms in the tissues of the brain

B

Basal cell carcinoma - forms in the tissues of the skin; round cells under the squamous cells

Bile duct cancer - forms in the bile ducts

Bladder cancer - forms in the bladder

Bone cancer - forms in bone

Brain tumors - central nervous system (CNS) tumors that can be benign or malignant that form in the brain

Breast cancer - forms in the tissues of the breast

Bronchial tumors - begins in the cells that line the surface of the lung

Burkitt lymphoma - (also called diffuse small noncleaved-cell lymphoma) type of B-cell non-hodgkin lymphoma that may affect the jaw, bones of the face, bowel, kidneys, ovaries, or other organs

C

Carcinoid tumor - slow-growing tumors that form in the lining of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, mainly in the rectum, small intestine, or appendix

Carcinoma of unknown primary (CUP) - cancer cells have spread in the body and formed metastatic tumors but the site of the primary cancer is unknown

Cardiac (heart) tumors - tumors that form in the heart are usually benign

Cervical cancer - forms in the tissues of the cervix

Childhood rhabdomyosarcoma - forms in the muscle tissue

Childhood vascular tumors - forms from cells that make blood vessels or lymph vessels

Cholangiocarcinoma - forms in the bile ducts

Chordoma - bone tumor that forms anywhere along the spine from the base of the skull to the tailbone

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) - the bone marrow makes too many lymphocytes

Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) - the bone marrow makes too many white blood cells

Chronic myeloproliferative neoplasms - a group of diseases in which the bone marrow makes too many red blood cells, white blood cells, or platelets

Colorectal cancer - forms in the tissues of the colon or rectum

Craniopharyngioma - benign brain tumors found near the pituitary gland

Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma - begins in the skin and can cause the skin to thicken or form a tumor

D

Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) - a type of breast cancer that begins in the cells of the ducts 

E

Embryonal tumors - central nervous system tumors that form in embryonic (fetal) cells that remain in the brain after birth

Endometrial cancer - forms in the tissues of the endometrium which is the lining of the uterus

Esophogeal cancer - forms in the tissues of the esophagus

Esthesioneuroblastoma (ENB) - (also known as olfactory neuroblastoma) malignant tumor of the upper nasal cavity and anterior skull base

Ewing sarcoma - tumor that forms in bone or soft tissue

Extragonadal germ cell tumor - tumors that develop from germ cells (fetal cells that give rise to sperm and eggs) and can form in many parts of the body other than the brain

F

Fallopian tube cancer - (also known as tubal cancer) develops in the fallopian tubes that connect the ovaries and the uterus

Fibrous histiocytoma of bone - forms in bone

G

Gallbladder cancer - forms in the gallbladder, a small organ below the liver

Gastric (stomach) cancer - forms in the lining of the stomach

Gastrointestinal (GI) carcinoid tumor - forms in the lining of the gastrointestinal tract, mainly in the rectum, small intestine, or appendix

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) - abnormal cells form in the tissues of the gastrointestinal tract

Germ cell tumor (GCT) - neoplasm derived from germ cells that normally occur in the gonads (ovary and testis)

Gestational trophoblastic disease (GTD) - abnormal trophoblast cells grow inside the uterus after conception

H

Hairy cell leukemia - the bone marrow makes too many lymphocytes

Head and neck cancer - forms in the larynx, throat, lips, mouth, nose, and salivary glands

Heart tumors - usually benign tumors that form in the heart

Hepatocellular (liver) cancer - forms in the tissues of the liver

Hodgkin lymphoma - forms in the lymph system, the two main types include classical and nodular lymphocyte-predominant

Hypopharyngeal cancer - forms in the tissues of the hypopharynx

I

Intraocular (uveal) melanoma - rare cancer that forms in the eye

Islet cell tumors - (also known as pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors) forms in hormone-making cells (islet cells) of the pancreas

J

K

Kaposi sarcoma - malignant lesions can form in the skin, mucous membranes, lymph nodes, and other organs

Kidney (renal cell) cancer - forms in tubules of the kidney

L

Langerhans cell histiocytosis blood cancer that forms when a type of white blood cell called langerhans cells becomes abnormal and grows in different parts of the body

Laryngeal cancer - forms in the tissues of the larynx

Leukemia - cancer of the blood cells

Lip and oral cavity cancer - forms in the lips or mouth

Liver cancer - forms in the liver, includes hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and bile duct cancer (cholangiocarcinoma)

Lung cancer - forms in the tissues of the lung, includes small cell lung cancer and non-small cell lung cancer

Lymphoma - begins in cells of the lymph system,main types include hodgkin lymphoma and non-hodgkin lymphoma (NHL)

M

Male breast cancer - forms in the tissues of the breast

Malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH) of bone and osteosarcoma - forms in bone

Melanoma - forms in melanocytes (cells that color the skin); found in the lower part of the epidermis

Merkel cell carcinoma - forms in the skin

Mesothelioma - cancer of the thin tissue (mesothelium) that lines the lung, chest wall, and abdomen

Metastatic cancer - where cancer has spread; it can spread locally by moving into nearby normal tissue; or regionally, to nearby lymph nodes, tissues, or organs

Metastatic squamous neck cancer with occult primary - spreads to lymph nodes in the neck and it is not known where the cancer first formed in the body

Midline tract carcinoma with NUT gene changes - forms in the respiratory tract or other places along the middle of the body

Mouth cancer - forms in the oral cavity

Multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) syndromes - inherited disorders that affect the endocrine system; types include MEN1 (werner syndrome), MEN2A (sipple syndrome), and MEN2B

Multiple myeloma/plasma cell neoplasms - disease in which the body makes too many plasma cells; types include monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS), plasmacytoma, and multiple myeloma

Mycosis fungoides/sezary syndrome - diseases in which lymphocytes become malignant and affect the skin; they are types of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma

Myelodysplastic syndromes - immature blood cells in the bone marrow do not mature or become healthy blood cells

Myeloproliferative neoplasms - bone marrow makes too many red blood cells, white blood cells, or platelets

N

Nasal cavity and paranasal sinus cancer - forms in the tissues of the paranasal sinuses and nasal cavity

Nasopharyngeal cancer - forms in the tissues of the nasopharynx

Neuroblastoma - forms in neuroblasts (immature nerve tissue) in the adrenal gland, neck, chest, or spinal cord

Non-hodgkin lymphoma - forms in the lymph system

Non-small cell lung cancer - forms in the tissues of the lung

O

Oral cancer - forms in the oral cavity

Oropharyngeal cancer - forms in the tissues of the oropharynx

Osteosarcoma - forms in bone

Ovarian cancer - begins in the female organs that produce eggs (ovaries)

Ovarian germ cell tumors - forms in the germ (egg) cells of the ovary

P

Pancreatic cancer - forms in the tissues of the pancreas

Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors - (also known as islet cell tumors) forms in hormone-making cells (islet cells) of the pancreas

Papillomatosis - condition in which papillomas have formed in the tissue that lines the larynx

Paraganglioma - rare tumor that forms outside the adrenal gland

Paranasal sinus and nasal cavity cancer - forms in the tissues of the paranasal sinuses and nasal cavity

Parathyroid cancer - forms in the tissues of the parathyroid glands

Penile cancer - forms in the tissues of the penis

Pharyngeal cancer - type of throat cancer that forms in the pharynx, the hollow tube that runs from the back of the nose to the top of the espohagus

Pheochromocytoma - rare tumor that forms in the adrenal medulla (the center of the adrenal gland)

Pituitary tumor - growth of abnormal cells in the tissues of the pituitary gland; usually not cancer and are called pituitary adenomas

Plasma cell neoplasm - diseases in which the body makes too many plasma cells; types include monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS), plasmacytoma, and multiple myeloma

Pleuropulmonary blastoma (PPB) - forms in the tissue of the lung and pleura (tissue that covers the lungs and lines the inside of the chest); they can also form in the organs between the lungs including the heart, aorta, and pulmonary artery, or in the diaphragm (the main breathing muscle below the lungs)

Primary central nervous system (CNS) lymphoma - forms in the lymph tissue of the brain and/or spinal cord

Primary peritoneal cancer - forms in the tissue covering the peritoneum

Prostate cancer - forms in the tissues of the prostate

Q

R

Rectal cancer - forms in the tissues of the rectum

Recurrent cancer - when cancer comes back after treatment

Renal cell (kidney) cancer forms in tubules of the kidney

Retinoblastoma - forms in the tissue of the retina

Rhabdomyosarcoma - forms in muscle tissue

S

Salivary gland cancer - forms in the tissues of the salivary glands

Sezary syndrome (lymphoma) - lymphocytes become malignant and affect the skin; cancerous T-cells are found in the blood

Skin cancer - forms in the tissues of the skin

Small cell lung cancer - forms in the tissues of the lung

Small intestine cancer - forms in the tissues of the small intestine

Soft tissue sarcoma - forms in the soft tissues of the body

Squamous cell carcinoma of the skin - forms in the tissues of the skin; thin, flat cells that form the top layer of the epidermis

Squamous neck cancer with occult primary - spreads to lymph nodes in the neck and is not known where the cancer first formed in the body

Stomach (gastric) cancer - forms in the lining of the stomach

T

T-cell lymphoma lymphocytes become malignant and affect the skin; cancerous T-cells are found in the blood

Testicular cancer - forms in the tissues of one or both testicles

Thymoma and thymic carcinoma - forms on the outside surface of the thymus; linked with myasthenia gravis and other autoimmune diseases

Thyroid cancer - forms in the tissues of the thyroid gland

Transitional cell cancer of the renal pelvis and ureter - forms in the renal pelvis and ureter

U

Unknown primary - malignant cells are found in the body but the place the cancer began is not known

Ureter and renal pelvis forms in the renal pelvis and ureter

Urethral cancer - forms in the tissues of the urethra

Uterine cancer (endometrial) - forms in the tissues of the endometrium

Uterine sarcoma - forms in the muscles of the uterus or other tissues that support the uterus

V

Vaginal cancer - forms in the vagina

Vascular tumors - forms from cells that make blood vessels or lymph vessels; can occur anywhere in the body

Vulvar cancer - forms in the tissues of the vulva

W

Wilms tumor - forms in the tissues of the kidney

X

Y

Z

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List of cancer types and their location

Medical References for Caregivers

From List of Cancer Types and their Location to Home

Reference:

https://www.cancer.gov/types

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