Common Types Of Cancer

Cancer incidence and mortality statistics reported by the American Cancer Society¹ and other resources were used to create the list. To qualify as a common cancer for the list, the estimated annual incidence for 2014 had to be 40,000 cases or more.

The most common type of cancer on the list is breast cancer, with about 235,000 new cases expected in the United States in 2014. The next most common cancers are prostate cancer and lung cancer. 

Because colon and rectal cancers are often referred to as "colorectal cancers," these two cancer types are combined for the list. For 2014, the estimated number of new cases of colon cancer and rectal cancer are 96,830 and 40,000, respectively, adding to a total of 136,830 new cases of colorectal cancer.

The following table gives the estimated numbers of new cases and deaths for each common cancer type:

What is Cancer

Cancer is a term used for diseases in which abnormal cells divide without control and are able to invade other tissues. Cancer cells can spread to other parts of the body through the blood and lymph systems.

Cancer Cell

Cancer is not just one disease but many diseases. There are more than 100 different types of cancer. Most cancers are named for the organ or type of cell in which they start - for example, cancer that begins in the colon is called colon cancer; cancer that begins in melanocytesof the skin is called melanoma.

Cancer types can be grouped into broader categories. The main categories of cancer include: