Cancer - Types

Malignant tumors are indicted by the terms:

Carcinoma (epithelial in origin): Cancer that begins in the skin

or in tissues that line or cover internal organs - skin, lung, colon,
pancreatic, ovarian cancers etc.

Sarcoma (mesenchymal in origin): Cancer that begins in bone,

cartilage, fat, muscle, blood vessels, or other connective or
supportive tissue - bone, soft tissue cancers, osteosarcoma etc.

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 Cancer - Types
Leukemia: Cancer that starts in blood-forming tissue such as
the bone marrow and causes large numbers of abnormal blood
cells to be produced and enter the blood -- leukemia,
lymphoblastic leukemias (ALL and CLL), myelogenous leukemias
(AML and CML).

Lymphoma: Cancers that begin in the cells of the immune

system – lymphoma, T-cell lymphomas, B-cell lymphomas,
Hodgkin lymphomas, non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

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 Naming Cancers
Cancer Prefixes Point to Location
Prefix Meaning
adeno- gland
chondro- cartilage
erythro- red blood cell
hemangio- blood vessels
hepato- liver
lipo- fat
lympho- lymphocyte
melano- pigment cell
myelo- bone marrow
myo- muscle
osteo- bone
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Types of Tumor