Cancer: Overview

What is cancer?

Cancer, a condition of abnormal cell growth, is the second most common cause of death in developed countries. Normal cell growth is a carefully regulated process. Cancer cells replicate in an uncontrolled manner, and can move from one part of the body to another.

For more information, see What is Cancer?.

Bowel cancer (colorectal cancer)

Bowel cancer may be of the adenocarcinoma type and usually arises from the epithelium lining the inside of the large bowel which lines the large intestine.

For more information, see Bowel Cancer (Colorectal Cancer).

Breast cancer

Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly the ducts or lobules of the breast. It is more common in women because female breasts are more developed than male breasts, making them more susceptible to cancer. Breast cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer in women.

For more information, see Breast Cancer.

Kidney cancer

Kidney cancer may originate in the kidneys (primary cancer), or spread from elsewhere (secondary cancer). Renal cell carcinoma is the most common form of primary cancer in the kidneys, and males are more likely to get kidney cancer than females.

For more information, see Kidney Cancer.

Prostate cancer

Prostate cancer is one of the most common form of cancer in men, and one in six men will develop prostate cancer at some point in their lives. Some forms of prostate cancer spread so slowly that it does not cause health problems, and others do.

For more information, see Prostate Cancer.

Skin cancer

Skin cancer occurs where there is an uncontrollable growth of abnormal cells in a layer of the skin. There are three common forms of skin cancer that are distinguished by the type of cells affected.

For more information, see Skin Cancer.

Stomach cancer

The stomach has three layers of tissue. Sometimes the cells of the inner layer begin to grow rapidly without order. When this occurs, cancer can develop. Over 90% of the cancers that occur in the stomach are gastric adenocarcinomas.

For more information, see Stomach Cancer.