List of Human Cancer Types and Tumors: A to Z Glossary

Author: Ian C. Langtree - Writer/Editor for Disabled World (DW)
Published: 30 Dec 2008 - Updated: 29 Sep 2026
Publication Type: Informative

Table of Contents:
Synopsis - Definition - Overview - FAQs - Insights, Updates - Related Content

Synopsis

This information provides an alphabetical reference list of nearly every recognized type of human cancer and tumor, from acute lymphoblastic leukemia to Wilms tumor, with separate entries for adult and childhood forms of the same disease. It explains that there are more than 100 types of cancer, each named for the kind of cell where it first develops, and it clarifies the difference between benign tumors that stay in one place and malignant tumors that invade nearby tissue or spread through the bloodstream and lymphatic system in a process called metastasis. The glossary is useful for patients, caregivers, students, and anyone trying to make sense of a diagnosis or a medical report, and it can help seniors and people with disabilities, who often manage several health conditions at once, find the correct name of a cancer before looking for treatment options, support services, or disability benefits. Cross references such as basal cell carcinoma pointing to nonmelanoma skin cancer make it easier to connect the different names doctors may use for the same condition.

At a Glance

• 1 - Tobacco use accounts for about 22% of cancer deaths worldwide.
• 2 - About 5 to 10% of cancers are caused by genetic defects inherited from a parent.
• 3 - In the developing world, nearly 20% of cancers stem from infections such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and human papillomavirus.
• 4 - Pancreatic cancer carries the poorest outlook, with 97% of patients deceased within five years of diagnosis, compared with 6% for thyroid cancer.

Topic Definition

Cancer

Cancer is a group of more than 100 related diseases in which abnormal cells grow and divide without the normal controls that tell cells when to stop multiplying and when to die. These cells often form a mass called a tumor, although blood cancers such as leukemia usually do not form solid masses and instead crowd out healthy blood cells. A tumor is called malignant when it can invade nearby tissue and spread to distant parts of the body through the blood or lymphatic system, a process known as metastasis, while benign tumors stay in one place and are not usually life-threatening. Each cancer is named for the type of cell or organ where it begins, and the major groups include carcinomas, sarcomas, leukemias, lymphomas, myelomas, and brain and spinal cord tumors. Treatment depends on the type and stage of the cancer and may involve surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, immunotherapy, targeted therapy, or a combination of these.

Overview

Cancer is defined as a class of diseases characterized by out-of-control cell growth. There are over 100 different types of cancer, and each is classified by the type of cell that is initially affected. Cancer harms the body when damaged cells divide uncontrollably to form lumps or masses of tissue called tumors (except in the case of leukemia where cancer prohibits normal blood function by abnormal cell division in the blood stream). Tumors can grow and interfere with the digestive, nervous, and circulatory systems, and they can release hormones that alter body function.

Tumors that stay in one spot and demonstrate limited growth are generally considered to be benign. When a tumor successfully spreads to other parts of the body and grows, invading and destroying other healthy tissues, it is said to have metastasized. This process itself is called metastasis.

Cancer Starts in Cells

Our bodies are made up of millions of cells, grouped together to form tissues and organs such as muscles and bones, the lungs and the liver. Genes inside each cell order it to grow, work, reproduce and die.

Normally, our cells obey these orders and we remain healthy. But sometimes the instructions get mixed up, causing the cells to form lumps or tumors, or spread through the bloodstream and lymphatic system to other parts of the body.

Tumors can be either benign (non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous). Benign tumor cells stay in one place in the body and are not usually life-threatening.

There Are Over 100 Types of Cancer

Each type of cancer is unique with its own causes, symptoms, and methods of treatment.

Like with all groups of disease, some types of cancer are more common than others. The most common type of cancer, excluding skin cancer, is prostate cancer, with more than 240,000 new cases expected in the United States in 2012. The cancer on the list with the lowest incidence is pancreatic cancer, with 43,920 new cases expected in 2012.

Cancer symptoms vary widely based on the type of cancer. Cancer treatment includes chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery.

Cancer Facts and Statistics

Tobacco use is the cause of about 22% of cancer deaths. Another 10% is due to obesity, a poor diet, lack of physical activity, and drinking alcohol. Other factors include certain infections, exposure to ionizing radiation, and environmental pollutants.

In the developing world nearly 20% of cancers are due to infections such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and human papillomavirus. These factors act, at least partly, by changing the genes of a cell.

Typically many such genetic changes are required before cancer develops. Approximately 5 to 10% of cancers are due to genetic defects inherited from a person's parents.

Cancer can be detected by certain signs and symptoms or screening tests. It is then typically further investigated by medical imaging and confirmed by biopsy.

Most Common Cancer Types

• Bladder Cancer
• Lung Cancer
• Breast Cancer
• Melanoma
• Colon and Rectal Cancer
• Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
• Endometrial Cancer
• Pancreatic Cancer Kidney (Renal Cell)
• Cancer Prostate Cancer
• Leukemia Thyroid Cancer

Percentage of patients with cancer types deceased five years after cancer diagnosis

• Pancreatic cancer - 97%
• Liver cancer - 95%
• Esophageal cancer - 92%
• Lung cancer - 87%
• Stomach cancer - 83%
• Brain cancer - 75%
• Ovarian cancer - 61%
• Oral cancer - 49%
• Kidney cancer - 47%
• Rectal cancer - 46%
• Colon cancer - 43%
• Laryngeal cancer - 34%
• Cervical cancer - 34%
• Prostate cancer - 26%
• Breast cancer - 23%
• Bladder cancer - 22%
• Skin cancer - 19%
• Uterine cancer - 17%
• Thyroid cancer - 6%

Frequently Asked Questions

Is cancer considered a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act?

Cancer can qualify as a disability under the ADA when it substantially limits a major life activity, including normal cell growth. The ADA Amendments Act of 2008 made clear that conditions in remission can still qualify if they would be limiting when active, so workers may be entitled to reasonable accommodations such as flexible schedules for treatment.

Can a person with cancer receive Social Security disability benefits?

Yes. The Social Security Administration lists many cancers in its Blue Book of impairments, and some aggressive or advanced cancers qualify for Compassionate Allowances, which speeds up the approval process for SSDI or SSI benefits.

What is the difference between carcinoma, sarcoma, lymphoma, and leukemia?

Carcinomas start in the skin or in tissues that line organs, and they are the most common group. Sarcomas start in bone, muscle, fat, or connective tissue, lymphomas start in the lymphatic system, and leukemias start in blood-forming tissue such as bone marrow.

Can a benign tumor turn into cancer?

Most benign tumors never become cancer, but some types can change over time. Certain colon polyps, for example, can develop into colorectal cancer, which is why doctors often remove them during a colonoscopy.

What does cancer staging mean?

Staging describes how large a cancer is and how far it has spread. Many cancers use the TNM system, which looks at tumor size, lymph node involvement, and metastasis, and these details are often summarized as stages 0 through IV to guide treatment choices.

Are there vaccines that help prevent cancer?

Yes. The HPV vaccine protects against the virus strains that cause most cervical cancers along with some throat, anal, and genital cancers, and the hepatitis B vaccine lowers the risk of liver cancer linked to chronic infection.

What does it mean when cancer is in remission?

Remission means the signs and symptoms of cancer have lessened or disappeared. Partial remission means the cancer has shrunk, while complete remission means tests can no longer find it, although doctors usually continue monitoring because cancer can return.

How does immunotherapy treat cancer?

Immunotherapy helps the immune system recognize and attack cancer cells. Common forms include checkpoint inhibitors, CAR T-cell therapy, and cancer vaccines, and these treatments are now used for cancers such as melanoma, lung cancer, and some lymphomas.

Insights, Analysis, and Developments

Editorial Note: A list of cancer names can look like dry medical vocabulary, but the pattern behind it says a lot about the disease. Many cancers are driven by factors people can change, such as obesity, poor diet, physical inactivity, and alcohol use, which together account for roughly 10% of cancer deaths, alongside radiation exposure and environmental pollutants. Most cancers also need several genetic changes to build up before they develop, which is one reason screening and early detection through imaging and biopsy make such a difference. The wide gap in five-year outcomes, from bladder and skin cancers at the lower end to liver and esophageal cancers at the higher end, shows how much depends on cancer type and on how early it is found. For people with disabilities and older adults, who can face barriers to routine screening and specialist care, knowing the right name for a cancer is often the first practical step toward getting accessible treatment and support.

Author Credentials: Ian is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Disabled World, a leading resource for news and information on disability issues. With a global perspective shaped by years of travel and lived experience, Ian is a committed proponent of the Social Model of Disability, a transformative framework developed by disabled activists in the 1970s that emphasizes dismantling societal barriers rather than focusing solely on individual impairments. His work reflects a deep commitment to disability rights, accessibility, and social inclusion. To learn more about Ian's background, expertise, and accomplishments, visit his full biography.