Disease & Condition Information Center

• Bladder Cancer
  This is a cancer that begins in your bladder. This muscular organ stores your urine and pushes it out of your body when you urinate. Bladder cancer most commonly affects older people. Without proper treatment, it can spread to other parts of your body.
• Breast Cancer
  This is a growth of cancer cells in your breast. It is the most common form of cancer in women after skin cancer. It affects one woman in eight during their lives. Men can also have breast cancer, but it's rare.
• Breast Cancer During Pregnancy
  It's difficult to find out you have breast cancer when you're pregnant. You worry about your health, and the health of your baby. Treatment can be complex. Let's talk about the road ahead.
• Breast Cancer Stages
  When you have breast cancer, we rate your cancer on a scale from 0 to IV. This is the "stage" of your cancer. It tells us a little bit about your cancer, and helps us decide on a care plan. Let's learn about the five basic stages.
• Breast Pain
  If you have pain in one or both breasts, you may wonder why. You may worry about cancer. But there can be many reasons why you're feeling pain. Let's take a few minutes to learn more.
• Cancer (Overview)
  The word "cancer" refers to abnormal cells that grow uncontrollably. Cancer is not a single disease. It can involve any type of cell, anywhere in your body. And it starts with a problem in the cell's genes.
• Cancer Staging
  There are many types of cancers. They can behave in very different ways. When a patient is diagnosed with cancer, doctors evaluate and classify the cancer's characteristics. This process is known as cancer "staging." Staging helps doctors design effective cancer treatment plans.
• Carcinoid Tumors of the Gastrointestinal Tract
  This type of cancer forms in the lining of the stomach or the intestines. It is a slow-growing cancer that results in one or more tumors. This cancer can spread from the gastrointestinal tract to the liver. Carcinoid tumors are less common than many other forms of cancer.
• Carcinoid Tumors of the Lung
  This type of cancer is a slow-growing tumor. It forms in the walls of the large airways near the center of the lungs, or in the smaller airways near the lungs' outer edges. Carcinoid tumors are less common than many other forms of cancer. Some carcinoid tumors can spread from the lungs to other parts of the body.
• Cervical Cancer
  Cervical cancer happens here, in the cervix. It's the lower part of a woman's womb (or uterus). If this cancer is found early, it can be cured. If left untreated, it can spread to other parts of your body.
• Chemo Brain
  This memory and concentration problem happens to some cancer patients during and after chemotherapy. With chemo brain, you feel like you're living in a haze. This makes it hard to do daily tasks.
• Colorectal Cancer
  This condition is the formation of cancerous growths in the colon (called colon cancer) and in the rectum (called rectal cancer).
• Dense Breast Tissue
  When you have a mammogram, you may be told you have dense breasts. But what does that mean, exactly? Let's take a few minutes to learn more.
• Endometrial Cancer
  This cancer begins in a woman's uterus. That's the hollow organ we call the "womb," where a fetus grows during pregnancy. The cancer forms in the endometrial tissue. That's a layer of cells lining the inside of the womb.
• Esophageal Cancer
  This type of cancer develops in your esophagus. The esophagus is the organ that carries food and liquids from your throat to your stomach. It is a muscular tube lined with specialized cells.
• Hodgkin Lymphoma
  This is a cancer of the lymphatic system. This system clears infections and manages fluids in your body. It is an important part of your immune system.
• Hypogammaglobulinemia
  This disease lowers the body's ability to fight infections. It reduces the body's white blood cells. And without the antibodies that white blood cells make, it's hard for the body to fight off attacks by bacteria and viruses.
• Hypopharyngeal Cancer
  This disease is a cancer of the hypopharynx, the lower portion of the throat where the throat meets the trachea and esophagus. If left untreated, these cancerous cells can spread to other parts of the body. This type of cancer is relatively uncommon, and affects more men than women.
• Kidney Cancer
  This disease, also called renal cancer, is a condition in which abnormal cells grow in one or both kidneys. The kidneys are fist-sized organs that filter blood and produce urine. In adults, the most common type of kidney cancer is renal cell carcinoma. This cancer develops inside the lining of small tubes found in the kidney's cortex and medulla regions.
• Leukemia
  This is a cancer of the blood cells. Commonly it involves your white blood cells, but leukemia can also affect red blood cells and platelets. Leukemia results in abnormal blood cells that don't work properly.
• Liver Cancer (Hepatocellular Carcinoma)
  This disease is a type of tumor that begins in the main cells of the liver. The liver is a large gland organ in your upper abdomen. It performs many roles, including helping break down and store nutrients.
• Low Platelet Count (Thrombocytopenia)
  This condition is an abnormally low number of platelet cells in your blood. Platelets are tiny cells that help your blood clot to stop bleeding. If your platelets are destroyed, or if your body can't produce enough new cells to meet your needs, you can develop a shortage. You can be at risk for excessive bleeding, including internal bleeding. This is a medical emergency.
• Lung Cancer
  This is an abnormal growth of lung tissue cells. It can affect one or both of your lungs. In the United States, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in men and women.
• Male Breast Cancer
  We tend to think of breast cancer as a disease that affects only women. But in rare cases, men can get this cancer, too. Let's take a moment to learn more about it.
• Mesothelioma
  This is a cancer that forms in the mesothelium. That's a thin layer of tissue around many of your organs. Most often, this cancer affects the tissue around your lungs. But it can form in other places. It can develop in the tissue that lines the heart, abdomen or testicles.
• Metastatic Breast Cancer
  This is breast cancer that has spread to other parts of your body. We also call it "stage IV" breast cancer. This is the most advanced stage. It can affect you in different ways, depending on where the cancer cells have moved to.
• Metastatic Cancer of the Spine
  This form of cancer develops in or near the spinal cord or within the vertebrae. It can spread through multiple levels of the spine. It can lead to a wide range of serious complications.
• Metastatic Disease
  Cancer cells can spread from one part of the body to another. When this happens, the cancer is said to have metastasized. When cancer spreads far from a primary tumor and begins to invade other organs, bones or tissues, this is called metastatic disease. It can be very difficult to treat, but some people live with this disease for a long time.
• Mole Danger Signs
  Although most skin moles are harmless, sometimes they turn into cancer. Skin cancer can be deadly, but many types of skin cancer can be treated successfully if caught early. So if you have a mole, it's important to watch it closely for warning signs of cancer. You can remember the warning signs by remembering "ABCDE."
• Multiple Myeloma
  This type of cancer forms in blood cells called plasma cells. These are special white blood cells that help your immune system. They mainly stay inside your bone marrow, a soft, spongy tissue found in your large bones. Your bone marrow is where new blood cells are made. If you have multiple myeloma, your marrow becomes crowded with cancerous plasma cells. They crowd out healthy blood cells. They produce abnormal proteins that cause problems in your body.
• Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS)
  This is the collective name for a group of bone marrow disorders. Bone marrow is a soft, spongy tissue found inside the large bones in your body. It's where new blood cells are made. With MDS, also called "bone marrow failure disorder," the marrow does not produce enough healthy blood cells.
• Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
  This is a cancer of the lymphatic system. This system helps clear infections and manage fluids throughout your body. It's an important part of your immune system.
• Oral Cancer
  This is a cancer that forms in a part of your oral cavity. That includes your lips, tongue, mouth and throat. Oral cancers can be serious and hard to treat. They can spread through your lymphatic system to other parts of your body.
• Oropharyngeal Cancer
  This disease is a cancer of the oropharynx, the middle part of the throat. The oropharynx includes the back portion of the tongue, the soft palate, the side and back walls of the throat, and the tonsils. If left untreated, these cancerous cells can spread to other parts of the body.
• Osteosarcoma
  This is a cancerous bone tumor. It tends to affect growing teens and people over age 60. Although osteosarcoma may form in any bone, we most often see it in a large bone near a growth plate. That's the part of the bone that expands as you grow.
• Ovarian Cancer
  This is a growth of cancer cells in one or both of your ovaries. These organs are part of a woman's reproductive system. They make your egg cells. They also make hormones.
• Pancreatic Cancer
  This disease begins in the cells of the pancreas. Your pancreas is an important gland in your upper abdomen. It secretes hormones such as insulin. It also secretes enzymes that help digestion. Pancreatic cancer develops when cells in the pancreas mutate. Doctors are not sure what causes this to occur.
• Pituitary Tumor
  Your pituitary gland is found just under your brain. This pea-sized gland makes hormones that affect many of your body's functions. A pituitary tumor can cause it to release too much or too little of these hormones. This can cause serious problems.
• Primary Immunodeficiency (PI)
  This is the name given to a large group of rare, chronic genetic disorders. These are diseases of the immune system. A person who has a PI has a weaker-than-normal immune system. There are hundreds of primary immunodeficiency diseases. Some are serious, and some are mild.
• Prostate Cancer
  This is a common cancer in men. It forms in the prostate. That's a small gland at the base of the male bladder. Prostate cancer usually grows slowly, but it can spread to other parts of your body.
• Remission: Understanding What it Means for You
  During the course of your cancer treatment, your doctor may tell you that your cancer is in "remission." This is great news, but it isn't the same as saying that you have been cured. There are two types of remission, "partial" and "complete." It is important to fully understand what each diagnosis means.
• Salivary Gland Cancer
  This rare form of cancer begins in the tissue of the salivary glands. The salivary glands produce saliva, which aids in chewing, swallowing and digestion. Salivary gland cancer can form in any of the salivary glands.
• Skin Cancer
  This is the most common form of cancer. It often happens on body parts that get a lot of sun, like your head, face, neck, arms and hands. Anyone can get skin cancer, but it's more common in older people and in people who have light skin, hair and eyes.
• Soft Tissue Sarcoma
  This is an uncommon type of cancer that forms in soft tissues of the body. Soft tissue sarcomas can develop in fat, muscle, or fibrous tissues. They can form in tissues of the blood vessels or nerves. They are most often found in the arms, legs or abdomen, but they can develop in any part of the body. This cancer can also spread from one part of the body to another.
• Stomach (Gastric) Cancer
  This cancer usually forms in the cells that line the inside of the stomach. These cells produce your stomach's protective mucus layer. Stomach cancer is not as common as other cancers. It can spread to other parts of the body if it is not treated in its early stages.
• Testicular Cancer
  This cancer is most often found in males between the ages of 15 and 35. It can form in one or both testicles (also called the "testes"). These reproductive organs make sperm and sex hormones.
• Thyroid Cancer
  This is an abnormal growth of cells in your thyroid, a butterfly-shaped gland. Your thyroid is located in the base of your neck. The hormones it produces help regulate your metabolism, heart rate, blood pressure and body temperature.
• Understanding Cancer Survival Statistics
  As part of your cancer care, your doctor may show you survival statistics. This information can help you understand how your disease is likely to progress. The statistics come from the medical histories of large groups of similar cancer patients.
• Understanding Your Cancer Prognosis
  During cancer treatment, you may wonder how things will turn out. Your doctor can tell you how your cancer is likely to affect you. Your doctor also can explain how you may respond to treatment. This is called your cancer "prognosis." Your prognosis helps you make decisions about your care.