Types of Cancer

As mentioned on the "Featured Organizations" page, the three featured orgs. benefit three separate types of cancer research and awareness. Susan G. Komen benefits breast cancer research, ThyCa benefits thyroid cancer research, and The Colon Cancer Alliance benefits colon cancer research. Each of these organizations have online stores, which can be visited via the links below.

According to the National Library of Medicine, cancer is the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in the body. These cancerous cells are also called malignant cells, whereas non-cancerous cells of fatty tissue or other abnormalities are called benign cells. Cancer can affect essentially any part of the body, ranging from organs like the brain, the throat or the stomach to things like bone, blood or skin.

Breast cancer is cancer that starts in the tissues of the breast. There are two types of breast cancer: ductal carcinoma and lobular carcinoma. Ductal carcinoma starts in the tubes or ducts that carry milk from the breast to the nipple. This is the most common form of breast cancer. Lobular carcinoma starts in parts of the breast, called lobules, which produce milk. Breast cancer is often found in women over the age of 50. It is often a result of genetics, being highly likely in those with a family history of the disease (National Library of Medicine).

Thyroid cancer is a cancer that starts in the thyroid gland, which is located inside the front of your lower neck. There are several types of thyroid cancer: anaplastic carcinoma, follicular carcinoma, medullary carcinoma, and papillary carcinoma. Anaplastic carcinoma (aka spindle cell cancer) is the most dangerous, though rare, form of thyroid cancer. Follicular carcinoma is more likely to come back and spread, whereas medullary carcinoma is a cancer of non-thyroid cells that happen to be located in the thyroid. Finally, papillary carcinoma, is the most common type, and spreads slowly, making it the least dangerous. Thyroid cancer is also often a result of genetics but is often caused by exposure to radiation (National Library of Medicine).

Colon cancer or colorectal cancer is cancer that starts in the large intestine or the rectum. Other types of cancer can affect the colon though, such as lymphoma or melanoma. Colon cancer is one of the leading causes of death due to cancer, and often starts as polyps in the colon which become cancerous. The biggest contributing factors to colon cancer is older age, race, and what you eat. Those over the age of 60, African Americans or those who eat a high-fat diet of red meat are more at risk of getting colorectal cancer (National Library of Medicine).

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