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What is cancer?

Cancer is a disease of cells. It is an abnormal growth of cells which tend to proliferate in an uncontrolled wayand, in some cases, to metastasize (spread).

Cancer is also called malignancy. A cancerous growth or tumor is sometimes referred to as a malignant

growth or tumor. A non-malignant growth or tumor is referred to as benign. Benign tumors are not cancer.

Cancer is not one disease. It is a group of more than 100 different and distinctive diseases. Cancer is NOTcontagious.

Cancer can involve any tissue of the body and have many different forms in each body area. Most cancersare named for the type of cell or organ in which they start. If a cancer spreads (metastasizes), the new tumor

bears the same name as the original (primary) tumor.

Cancer is the Latin word for crab. The ancients used the word to mean a malignancy, doubtless because ofthe crab-like tenacity a malignant tumor sometimes seems to show in grasping the tissues it invades.Cancer may also be called malignancy, a malignant tumor, or aneoplasm(literally, a new growth).

What are the most common types of cancer?

The frequency of a particular cancer may depend on gender.

The list of common cancers includes cancers that are diagnosed with the greatest frequency in the UnitedStates. Cancer incidence statistics from the American Cancer Society and other resources were used tocreate the list. To qualify as a common cancer, the estimated annual incidence for 2006 had to be 30,000

cases or more.

The most common type of cancer on the list is non-melanoma skin cancer, with more than 1,000,000 newcases expected in the United States in 2006. Non-melanoma skin cancers represent about half of all

cancers diagnosed in the US.

The cancer on the list with the lowest incidence isthyroid cancer. The estimated number of new cases of

thyroid cancer for 2006 is 30,180.

Because colon and rectal cancers are often referred to as "colorectal cancers," these two cancer types werecombined for the list. For 2006, the estimated number of new cases of colon cancer is 106,680, and theestimated number of new cases of rectal cancer is 41,930. These numbers are slightly larger than those

estimated for 2005.

Kidney cancercan be divided into two major groups, renal parenchyma cancers and renal pelvis cancers.Approximately 82 percent of kidney cancers develop in the renal parenchyma,2 and nearly all of these

cancers are renal cell cancers. The estimated number of new cases of renal cell cancer for 2006 is 31,890.

Leukemia as a cancer type includes acute lymphoblastic (or lymphoid) leukemia, chronic lymphocyticleukemia, acute myeloid leukemia, chronic myelogenous (or myeloid) leukemia, and other forms of

leukemia. It is estimated that more than 35,000 new cases of leukemia will be diagnosed in the UnitedStates in 2006, with acute myeloid leukemia being the most common type (approximately 12,000 newcases). The total number of new leukemia cases estimated for 2006 is slightly larger than the number

estimated for 2005.

How many people die of cancer each year?

The following table gives the estimated numbers of new cases and deaths for each common cancer type:

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Cancer Type Estimated New Cases Estimated Deaths

Bladder Cancer 61,420 13,060

Breast Cancer(Male included) 212,920 - 1,720 40,970 - 460

Colon and Rectal (combined) 148,610 55,170

Endometrial Cancer(Uterine) 41,200 7,350

Kidney Cancer(renal cell) 31,890 10,530

Leukemia (all) 35,070 22,280

Lung Cancer(including bronchus) 174,470 162,460

Melanoma 62,170 7,910

Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma 58,870 18,840

Pancreatic Cancer 33,370 32,300

Prostate Cancer 234,460 27,350

Skin Cancer(non-melanoma) >1,000,000 Not Available

Thyroid Cancer 30,180 1,500

SOURCE: National Cancer Institute

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