How are Cancers named?
Cancers are named depending upon their tissue type of origin. The common types of cancer tend to arise from epithelial tissues. ‘Epithelial’ is the name given to tissues on the surface of the body (the skin) or inside the body, lining tubes which communicate with the outside of the body e.g. airways, gut, bladder. Epithelial cell tumours are called carcinomas. Epithelial cell tumours of a glandular cell type are called adenocarcinomas. Squamous cell type tumours are called squamous cell carcinomas. Identifying cell type is important because it helps determine what treatment will be effective. Tumour cells that have no identifying features except looking malignant are called ‘anaplastic’
Other cell types also cause cancer including mesenchymal (connective) tissue, germ cells and nerve cells. These are much less common than epithelial cell tumours.
Examples of tumour names
| Type of cell | Name of cancer |
|---|---|
Types of epithelium – lining tissues |
|
| Squamous cell | Squamous cell carcinoma (common in the skin and lung) |
| Transitional cell | Transitional cell carcinoma (common in the bladder) |
| Basal cell | Basal cell carcinoma (common in the skin) |
| Glandular | Adenocarcinoma (common in the breast, prostate and lung) |
Mesenchyme – types of connecting tissues |
|
| Smooth muscle | leiomyosarcoma |
| Bone | Osteosarcoma (bone cancer) |
| Mesothelium | Malignant mesothelioma |
Tumours of the brain and spinal cord - Nerve tissues |
|
| Benign tumour arising from a gland | Adenoma e.g. pituitary adenoma |
| Malignant tumour with embryonic characteristics | Blastoma e.g. medulloblastoma |
| Glia – supportive tissue in the brain | Glioma e.g. astrocytoma or oligodendroglioma |
What are the names of cancers of the blood (haematological malignancies)?
The blood consists of tissue fluid and blood cells. There are different types of blood cells including red cells, white cells and platelets. Malignancy can develop in any of these cell lines. The malignant cells will grow at the expense of the normal cells and normal stem cells. The effects of the disease may be caused by too many of the abnormal cells in the blood or by preventing enough normal blood cells being made.
| Type of blood cell | Normal function of blood cell | Name of malignancy |
|---|---|---|
| Red blood cell | To carry oxygen in the blood from the lungs to the body | Polycythaemia rubra vera |
| White blood cells | Fight infection | Lymphoma Leukaemia |
| Plasma cells | Produce antibodies to fight infection | Myeloma |
| Platelets | Blood clotting | Essential thrombocytosis |
