Kidney cancer is the abnormal growth of cells in your kidney tissue. In time, these cells form a mass called a tumor. Cancer begins when something triggers a change in the cells, and they divide out of control. A cancerous or malignant tumor can spread to other tissues and vital organs. When this happens, it’s called metastasis. Who does kidney cancer affect? Kidney cancer is …
Hurthle Cell Cancer
Hürthle (pronounced “HEERT-luh” or “HER-THUL) cell carcinoma is a rare, aggressive form of thyroid cancer. Your thyroid is a small gland in the base of your neck. Your thyroid releases hormones that help regulate your metabolism. Hürthle cell carcinoma causes tumors that may affect your ability to speak and breathe. Left untreated, it may spread to other areas of your body, including your lymph nodes, lungs and bones. Healthcare providers …
Hodgkin Lymphoma (Hodgkin Disease)
Hodgkin lymphoma, once known as Hodgkin disease, is a group of blood cancers that usually develops in your lymphatic system. They’re acquired genetic disorders. You’re not born with these disorders. Instead, they happen when genes inside certain cells mutate or change. While Hodgkin lymphomas are relatively rare, they’re the most common cancers in young adults. Every year, more people are living longer after …
Hairy Cell Leukemia
Hairy cell leukemia is a rare type of blood cancer that happens when your bone marrow makes abnormal B-cells (B lymphocytes). These are a type of white blood cells that fight infections. The name of the condition comes from the tiny hair-like protrusions on the abnormal B-cells, which pathologists can see when they look at the cells under a microscope. You have B lymphocytes in your bone marrow, lymph nodes …
Stomach Cancer
With stomach cancer — also called gastric cancer — cancer cells grow out of control in your stomach. Cancer can form anywhere in your stomach. In the U.S., most cases of stomach cancer involve abnormal cell growth in the place where your stomach meets your esophagus (gastroesophageal junction). In other countries, where gastric cancer is more common, cancer usually forms in …
Gallbladder Cancer
Gallbladder cancer occurs when malignant (cancer) cells grow in your gallbladder. Your gallbladder is a pear-shaped organ in the upper right of your abdomen, just under your liver. It stores and delivers bile, a fluid your liver secretes to help you digest fats in foods you eat. Gallbladder cancer begins in the innermost layer of your gallbladder, called the mucosal layer, and spreads outward. …
Eye Melanoma
Melanoma is a type of cancer that develops in the cells that produce melanin — the pigment that gives your skin its color. Your eyes also have melanin-producing cells and can develop melanoma. Eye melanoma is also called ocular melanoma. Most eye melanomas form in the part of the eye you can’t see when looking in a mirror. This makes …
Esophageal Cancer
Esophageal cancer — or oesophageal cancer, depending on where you live — is the 10th most common cancer in the world. It starts in the tissues in your esophagus, the long muscular tube that moves food from your throat to your stomach. Tumors caused by esophageal cancer may not cause noticeable symptoms until the cancer has spread. Healthcare providers treat …
Endometrial Cancer
Endometrial cancer is a type of cancer that begins as a growth of cells in the uterus. The uterus is the hollow, pear-shaped pelvic organ where fetal development happens. Endometrial cancer begins in the layer of cells that form the lining of the uterus, called the endometrium. Endometrial cancer is sometimes called uterine cancer. Other types of cancer can form …
Colon Cancer
Colon cancer is a growth of cells that begins in a part of the large intestine called the colon. The colon is the first and longest part of the large intestine. The large intestine is the last part of the digestive system. The digestive system breaks down food for the body to use. Colon cancer typically affects older adults, though …