Cancer is characterized in different ways such as by the point of origin (cell and tissue), stages, grades and more. The cancer is named after the cell or organ from where it originated and not after the area to where it has spread or metastasized. For instance, cancer that began in the breast and has spread to the lungs will be called breast cancer metastatic to the lungs. Diverse factors such as age, stage, location, and others will guide the decision for the treatment of common cancers.

1. Types of cancers based on the type of cell

• Carcinomas

Carcinomas are the most common type making up almost 80% to 90% of cancers. These cancers develop in the epithelial cells. They begin in the skin or in the tissues that cover the internal organs. There are subtypes such as squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma and others.

• Sarcomas

Sarcomas are cancers that begin in the connective tissues of the body. This includes cancer of the bone, muscles, tendons, ligaments, cartilage, blood vessels, nerves, joint tissues, and fatty tissues.

• Myeloma and Lymphoma

Myeloma is also called multiple myeloma. Both myeloma and lymphoma are the cancer of the cells in the immune system. Lymphoma may arise in the lymph nodes or external nodes sites such as the spleen.

• Leukemia

Leukemia is a cancer of the blood cells and it begins in the bone marrow. This causes the cancer cells to move through the bloodstream.

• Melanomas

Cancer that originates in the cells that makes up the pigment of the skin.

• Blastomas
  Blastoma is cancer that is mixed types. Cancer cells may or may not bear resemblance to the normal cells from which they originate. Moreover, at one place there could be more than one type of cancer cells.

2. Common treatment options for cancer

The common cancer treatment options include surgery, medications, radiation, therapy, or a combination of treatments where the primary goal is to remove the cancer cells, shrink the cancer cells, or to prevent it from progressing. On this basis, the cancer treatments could be

• Surgery
  This common cancer treatment is advised in cases where the condition has worsened. The cancerous cells are surgically removed. Along with the cancerous cells, a little portion of the tissue around the cancer is also removed so that cancer does not relapse. There are many types of surgery for different cancer treatments. It depends on the severity of cancer.
• Radiation Therapy
  This common treatment for cancer uses high-power energy beams such as X-rays to kill cancer cells. The radiation may be given from an external source or be placed within the body depending on the type, location, and stage of cancer.
• Immunotherapy
  This common cancer treatment option uses the body’s immune system to fight cancer. This treatment uses the substances made by the body or artificially made in the lab to improve the patient’s immune system. This process slows or stops the growth of cancerous cells.
• Hormone therapy

Certain cancers such as breast cancer are perpetrated by the body’s hormones. Removing those hormones or blocking them will prevent the growth of cancerous cells.

• Chemotherapy
  This common cancer treatment option administers drugs to destroy cancer cells.
• Targeted drug therapy
  The treatment focuses on administering drugs to remove or cure the abnormalities present within the cancer cells that make them survive.
• Radiofrequency Ablation
  This treatment option for common cancers involves using electrical impulses to heat the cancer cells so that they are destroyed completely.