Cancer Can Affect Virtually Any Organ: Common Sites and Types

Cancer (malignant neoplasm) arises from uncontrolled proliferation of transformed cells. Virtually every tissue can give rise to cancer.

Common Sites and Types

• Breast: Ductal/lobular carcinoma.
• Lung: Adenocarcinoma, squamous, small cell.
• Colorectal: Adenocarcinoma.
• Prostate: Adenocarcinoma.
• Skin: Basal cell, squamous cell, melanoma.
• Hematologic: Leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma.
• Pancreas: Ductal adenocarcinoma.
• Liver: Hepatocellular carcinoma.
• Stomach: Gastric adenocarcinoma.
• Brain/CNS: Glioma, meningioma, metastatic.
• Kidney: Renal cell carcinoma.
• Bladder: Urothelial carcinoma.
• Uterus: Endometrial carcinoma.
• Ovary: Epithelial carcinoma.
• Thyroid: Papillary, follicular.
• Testis: Germ cell tumors.
• Bone/Soft tissue: Sarcomas.

Key Point

Cancer is not one disease but hundreds; classification by origin, histology, molecular profile guides therapy.