What Is Cancer?
Updated on March 17, 2026
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Cancer is a disease in which cells grow out of control and crowd out normal cells. It can start almost anywhere in the body and can stay in one spot or spread to other parts of the body. Some cancers grow slowly, while others grow quickly.
There are many types of cancer, and their symptoms and treatment depend on what type of cancer you have and how aggressive or advanced it is.
Cancer remains the second-leading cause of death in the U.S., but diagnosing cancers early can improve your chances of being cured. New diagnostic tools and treatment methods mean that the risk of dying from cancer in the U.S. has dropped significantly.
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Types of Cancer
There are more than 100 types of cancer. Most cancers get their name from where they start in the body. For instance, breast cancer begins in your breast tissue, even if it spreads (metastatizes) to the lung.
In the U.S., the most common cancers, excluding skin cancer, are breast, lung, prostate, colorectal, and blood cancers.
Many cancers form tissue growths called tumors. But blood cancers, such as leukemia, don’t generally grow as tumors. Instead, they move around the body as individual cells.
Doctors often classify cancers by the type of cell from which they start:
- Carcinoma The most common type, this forms in the cells that line the surfaces of organs, known as epithelial cells. Subtypes include adenocarcinomas, basal cell carcinomas, squamous cell carcinomas, and transitional cell carcinomas.
- Sarcoma These form in bone and in soft tissues such as muscles, fat, blood vessels, and lymph vessels. The most common bone cancer is osteosarcoma.
- Leukemia Leukemias are cancers that begin in blood-forming cells in the blood and bone marrow. They typically do not form solid tumors but instead cause white blood cell buildup that crowds out normal blood cells. This can affect your body’s ability to protect you from infections, control bleeding, or get enough oxygen to tissues.
- Lymphoma Lymphomas develop from white blood cells, known as lymphocytes. Healthy lymphocytes play an important role in your immune system, helping you recover from infections and supporting wound healing.
- Melanomas These develop from the cells that become melanocytes — the cells responsible for the pigment that provides skin color, melanin. Most melanomas are skin cancers, but some can grow in other tissues that contain melanin, such as the eye.
- Multiple Myeloma Also known as plasma cell myeloma, this is another type of cancer of blood cells that forms in a type of immune cell called a plasma cell. Abnormal plasma cell buildup in bone marrow can form tumors throughout the body.
- Brain and Spinal Cord Tumors Different types of tumors can form in the brain and nervous system. These are named after the types of nervous system cells in which they start.
- Neuroendocrine and Carcinoid Tumors These affect cells that respond to nerve signals by releasing hormones. Rarely, neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) can lead to raised hormone levels and cause a range of symptoms, and they can be either benign (not cancerous) or malignant. Doctors classify these by whether they release hormones (functional NETs) or don’t (non-functional NETs). However, both types can cause symptoms. They also classify NETs by where they grow.
- Germ Cell Tumors These tumors begin in cells that go on to become sperm or eggs. However, they aren’t limited to your reproductive organs, can develop almost anywhere, and may also be either benign or malignant.
Signs and Symptoms of Cancer
The symptoms of cancer vary from person to person. They can depend on the type of cancer, where it’s growing, and how advanced or aggressive it is. Many symptoms of cancer can also develop due to other causes and aren’t specific to cancer.
People may have cancer for many years without realizing it because symptoms can develop slowly. A doctor might detect these cancers during a screening. Other times, symptoms can worsen rapidly and clearly point to the possibility of cancer.
Symptoms linked to cancers might include:
- Extreme tiredness
- Unexpected weight loss
- Coughing up blood
- Difficulty swallowing
- Muscle or joint pain you can’t explain, with progressive pain
- Fevers or night sweats you can’t explain
- Bleeding or bruising you can’t explain
Cancer can also cause symptoms specific to certain organs, including the following:
- Blood in your urine or stool
- Changes in how often you pass urine or stool
- A hoarse voice
- New lumps
- Skin changes, including changes to existing moles, color changes in areas of skin, including darkening, redness, or yellowing, or sores that don’t get better
See your doctor about any ongoing symptoms that are causing concern or if you have new symptoms that last for over two weeks.
Causes and Risk Factors of Cancer
Cancer is caused by changes in your cells' genes that control the way cells grow and divide in your body.
These gene changes, or mutations, lead to cancer in different ways:
- Some mutations cause cells to copy themselves faster.
- Other changes prevent cells from knowing when to stop dividing.
- Many mutations keep cells from dying at the natural point in their life cycle.
You can have mutations from birth or they may occur during your lifetime due to environmental exposure or spontaneous errors during cell multiplication. Certain factors can increase the risk of DNA damage and mutations that lead to rapid or uncontrolled cell growth. These include:
- UV radiation from the sun or tanning beds
- Exposure to hazardous chemicals, known as carcinogens, in your environment, such as benzene, asbestos, or radon
- Certain viruses, like some types of human papillomavirus (HPV) or hepatitis B
- Lifestyle choices, such as smoking, not wearing sun protection when outside, or HIV infection
- Uncontrollable factors like your age, ethnic background, and sex
- Other health problems, like ulcerative colitis
Cancer development is highly complex. Family history is not a reliable predictor of developing cancer. Only 5 to 10 percent of cancers develop due to a mutation that comes from a parent.
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How Is Cancer Diagnosed?
Some cancers can begin to grow without any signs or symptoms. To find those cancers early, researchers have developed a variety of screening tools to detect them before they become apparent.
Screening and diagnosis are different. A positive result in a screening test does not mean you have cancer. But it often means that you need more tests to make a diagnosis.
Screening Tests
Routine screening tests are available for breast, colorectal, cervical, skin, prostate, and lung cancer. Doctors may order additional tests depending on other risk factors.
- Breast Cancer Screening Healthcare professionals can carry out a scan called a mammography (mammogram) to detect breast cancer early. Expert groups generally recommend screening for women starting at age 40 and continuing through age 74.
- Colorectal Cancer Screening Screenings for colorectal cancer involve procedures like a colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy, in which a doctor inserts a flexible, lighted tube with a camera attached to look for and sometimes remove unusual tissue in the colon and rectum. Stool tests can also screen for colorectal cancer. Regular screening is recommended for people at average risk between the ages of 45 and 75.
- Cervical Cancer Screening Pap tests and HPV tests can show cell changes or detect HPV, a cancer-linked virus, before cervical cancer develops. Experts generally recommend starting cervical cancer screening at 21 to 25 years of age and ending at age 65.
- Lung Cancer Screening A type of CT scan called low-dose helical computed tomography is recommended for some current or former heavy smokers between the ages of 50 and 80 years.
If you’re in a high-risk group for a certain cancer based on your age, sex, lifestyle, ethnic background, and medical history, a doctor might recommend one of the following tests:
- Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) Blood Test This blood test, sometimes done in addition to a liver ultrasound, is used to detect liver cancer in high-risk individuals.
- Breast MRI This involves imaging for breast cancer in those with dense breast tissue or particular genetic mutations, such as BRCA.
- CA-125 Test A healthcare professional may give a blood test to check for ovarian cancer in high-risk or symptomatic women, often with an ultrasound.
- Breast Exams A medical professional may recommend an inspection of the breasts for signs of breast cancer if they’ve noticed unusual lumps or changes.
- PSA Test A prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test and digital rectal exam (DRE) can help a doctor check for prostate cancer in high-risk men.
- Skin Exams These involve visual inspection for skin cancer in at-risk individuals or in those noticing changes in moles.
- Transvaginal Ultrasound Imaging in people with BRCA mutations or Lynch syndrome can help identify early signs of ovarian or endometrial cancer.
- Virtual Colonoscopy If people decline invasive colonoscopies or sigmoidoscopy, a healthcare professional can perform an external CT scan to check for colorectal cancer.
Diagnostic Tests
Doctors have reliable diagnostic tools that can go beyond screening and tell you whether you have cancer. Before deciding which tests you’ll need, a doctor will ask about your medical history, family history, and symptoms. The tests they recommend might include:
- Imaging This is a common tool that can confirm suspicious findings from cancer screening, including CT scans, X-rays, and MRIs.
- Endoscopy A clinician may insert a tube with a lighted camera into the body to take a careful look around and possibly remove certain tumors.
- Biopsy A healthcare professional collects a sample of cells from the affected area and sends it for examination under a microscope. They might use either a needle (less invasive) or a scalpel to access the tumor. The cells are examined to check whether they are cancerous or benign.
- Tumor Marker Testing A blood sample can show raised levels of certain proteins or signs of tumors known as tumor markers.
Staging and Grading Cancer
Another important part of diagnosis is staging. This shows how advanced a cancer is and how far it has spread. Staging helps a cancer care team determine a person’s outlook — how curable the cancer is — and what treatments they may need.
Some cancers have a specific staging system that reflects how a certain type of cancer usually behaves and develops. However, most of these run from 0 to 4.
- Stage 0: This often describes a precancer (abnormal cells with a risk of turning into cancer) or benign tumor.
- Stages 1-3: These usually involve cancers that haven’t moved from their original site. Those that have spread (often stage 2 or 3 cancers) may have moved into nearby tissue or lymph nodes.
- Stage 4: This is often the most advanced stage of a cancer, meaning it has spread to distant sites in the body, far from where it first developed.
A cancer specialist may also grade the cancer on a scale of 1 to 4. This shows them how abnormal the cells look under a microscope and how likely they are to invade nearby tissues.
Grade 1 cancer might look like healthy tissue. At the other end of the scale, Grade 4 tumors are highly abnormal looking and are much more likely to grow and spread quickly.
Treatment and Medication Options for Cancer
Cancer treatments aim to stop, slow, or get rid of cancer. A cancer care team will often provide a combination of treatments depending on the type of cancer you have, how far it has spread, and what treatments a person can tolerate. For example, a surgeon may remove the bulk of a tumor, and your cancer care team may then recommend a course of chemotherapy to kill remaining cancer cells around the body (known as systemic treatment) and reduce the risk of recurrence.
Medication Options
Doctors specializing in treating cancers, or oncologists, can prescribe a huge variety of medications. These are designed to destroy cancers, prevent their growth, and deprive them of nutrients or blood. Others target parts of the cancer cell or help your immune system pinpoint the cancer so it can work against it.
An oncologist may combine these treatments. Your cancer care team can also recommend switching medications within the same drug class if you’re finding it tough to handle the side effects of a therapy or if the cancer becomes resistant to the previous chemotherapy. A person will have several rounds of these treatments over a few months to give their body the best chance of removing cancer or preventing it from coming back after treatment.
Medication options for cancer include the following:
- Chemotherapy This uses infusions, injections, creams, or oral medications to destroy cancer cells, but it can also damage noncancerous cells. This can lead to side effects, including anemia, hair loss, nausea, and vomiting.
- Immunotherapy This treatment uses medications that help your immune system spot and kill cancer cells. Cancer cells can hide from your immune system, but immunotherapy helps your body recognize and destroy cancer cells.
- Targeted Therapy Some cancer cells have certain mutations that make proteins that encourage cancer cell growth. Targeted therapy drugs block or disable these abnormal proteins. If your cancer cells have one of these specific mutations, a doctor may recommend this type of treatment.
- Hormone Therapy This treatment slows or stops the growth of cancer cells that use hormones to grow. Doctors recommend it primarily for hormone-sensitive cancers, most commonly breast and prostate cancers. Hormone therapy can help reduce the risk of some cancers returning after surgery.
Surgery
Cancer surgeons can use procedures to remove a tumor or cancerous tissue. Some surgeries can also remove part of the tumor if cutting it out completely would damage an organ, or they can remove tumors as part of symptom relief if they're pressing against an organ or causing pain.
A surgeon might use open surgery, removing the tumor through a large cut, or minimally invasive surgery, operating through several small cuts using a laparoscope (a long tube with an attached camera or a robotic arm).
Ablation Therapy
An oncologist may recommend killing cancer cells by using extreme temperatures, known as ablation therapy.
Most often, a cancer care team performs ablation therapy to shrink tumors, which can extend survival and relieve symptoms. Ablation therapy options include the following:
- Cryosurgery or Cryotherapy This involves using liquid nitrogen or argon gas to apply extreme cold to abnormal tissue, which destroys it. It plays a role in the treatment of skin cancer, some cancers of the eye, and cervical cancer.
- Hyperthermia Although it’s not yet widely available, hyperthermia exposes small areas of tissue to extremely high temperatures that kill cancer cells or increase how much they respond to other treatments. Radiofrequency ablation is a type of hyperthermia that uses high-energy radio waves to create heat.
- Laser Surgery These are highly precise and use powerful, hot light beams to cut tissue. They can destroy tumors, shrink them, or remove benign tumors or precancers that may later become cancerous, often on the skin’s surface or the inside linings of organs. Cancer surgeons often use them to treat basal cell carcinoma, abnormal cells in the cervix, and cancers of the cervix, esophagus, vagina, and lungs.
Side effects of ablation therapy vary based on the location of the cancer, but they can include pain and discomfort, bleeding, discomfort, or damage to nearby healthy skin.
Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy involves a dose of radiation, which causes cancerous cells to break down. A radiation oncologist might request radiation therapy as the only treatment or along with other procedures. People may get radiation therapy after surgery to kill remaining cancer cells.
Two main types of radiation therapy are available:
- External Beam Radiation Therapy The most common type, a radiation oncologist targets a tumor with a machine that produces a beam of high-energy radiation. Most often, the energy is X-rays, but they may also use electrons or protons.
- Internal Radiation Therapy This places the radioactive source inside the body, often to treat head, neck, cervix, breast, uterus, or prostate cancers. For brachytherapy, a radiation oncologist may place solid radioactive material, or a “seed,” next to the tumor. Systemic therapy uses a pill or intravenous injection of a radioactive protein that recognizes, attaches to, and releases radiation into specific cancer cells.
Side effects are usually mild and often only affect the body part receiving radiation. They may include fatigue, diarrhea, and irritated skin.
Bone Marrow Transplants
Also known as a hematopoietic stem cell transplant, this uses an infusion of cells obtained from bone marrow or peripheral blood to replace cancerous or potentially cancerous immature blood cells with healthy cells. An oncologist may use a bone marrow transplant to treat blood cancers that haven’t gotten better after getting other treatments or that have come back after being in remission. Sometimes, high-dose chemotherapy can destroy healthy blood cells, so a bone marrow transplant might be a part of the treatment plan to build them back up.
Two types of bone marrow transplants are available:
- Allogeneic This uses healthy stem cells from a donor with blood similar to yours –– often a close relative.
- Autologous This uses healthy stem cells from your own body.
Side effects can include a weakened immune system, making you more susceptible to infection. Additionally, after an allogeneic transplant, you’re at risk for graft-verus-host disease (GVHD). This is when the transplant’s cells attack your body’s tissues, recognizing it as foreign. It can cause a variety of symptoms, and can occur both shortly after the transplant (acute) or later (chronic). Your doctor might prescribe medication to treat GVHD.
Complementary and Integrative Therapies
Some people find that complementary and integrative medicine can help them cope with treatment side effects, improve symptoms, and reduce the stress and anxiety of living with cancer.
While more research is necessary, studies have shown some people with cancer may benefit from:
- Acupuncture
- Hypnosis
- Massage therapy (possibly with modified technique)
- Mindfulness-based stress reduction
- Tai chi and Qigong
- Yoga
- Dietary supplements, such as ginger
No reliable studies have shown that herbal or natural supplements, diet choices, or complementary treatments can cure cancer or put it in remission. Some complementary treatments might also interact with chemotherapy or other treatments. Speak to a doctor before trying any supplements or psychoactive substances, such as cannabis, to reduce the risk of unwanted effects.
Disparities and Inequities in Cancer
Communities with low income, long travel distances to screening or treatment facilities, limited or no health insurance, no paid medical leave, or low health literacy may not have the opportunity to undergo screening or get treatment in line with recommendations than those who don’t face these barriers. Those without reliable healthcare access may be diagnosed at a more advanced stage, making them harder to treat.
Cancer disparities and inequities in the U.S. include the following:
- More Black people die from many (but not all) cancers than people in other racial or ethnic groups.
- Black women have lower breast cancer rates than white women, but are more likely to die if they have it.
- People in rural Appalachia are more likely to have colorectal, cervical, or lung cancer than people in urban parts of the same region.
- Black men with prostate cancer have more than double the mortality risk of white men with prostate cancer.
- Regardless of ethnicity, people with a higher education level have a lower risk of dying from colorectal cancer before 65 years of age than those with less education.
- Black, Hispanic/Latino, Native American, and Alaska Native women have higher rates of cervical cancer than those in other racial and ethnic groups. Black women have the highest rate of death from cervical cancer.
- Native Americans and Alaska Natives have a higher risk of death from kidney cancer than any other ethnic or racial group. This group also has the highest rate of liver and intrahepatic bile duct cancer.
Lifestyle Changes and Prevention of Cancer
Many cancers can’t be prevented, as its development is complex and involves a range of factors. Some of these factors, like age and race, you can’t change. But making certain lifestyle choices can reduce your risk of developing cancer, such as:
- Avoiding or quitting tobacco
- Eating a healthy diet
- Limiting alcohol consumption
- Managing body weight
- Exercising regularly
- Using sun protection
- Receiving Hepatitis B and HPV vaccinations
- Following cancer screening recommendations
Cancer Prognosis
The outlooks of different cancers vary widely, and two people with the same cancer can have a completely different treatment journey. Some cancers are treatable, while others spread quickly. But advances in screening, diagnosis, care, and treatment have greatly improved survival rates across all cancers.
Various factors can affect your prognosis, including:
- The type of cancer
- Which part of the body has cancer
- The cancer’s grade and stage
- Certain genes or hormone receptors in the cancer cells
- Your age
- Your overall health
- Which treatments you have and how your body responds to them
Doctors use several types of statistics to determine your outlook after a diagnosis. These statistics are based on large groups of people and may not reflect the outcomes of recently developed treatments and research. Your oncologist and cancer care team will try to tailor your prognosis and treatment based on your own test results and characteristics.
Cancer Complications
Cancer can cause other health problems that aren’t directly linked to the cancer itself. These vary depending on where the cancer is growing, but might include the following:
- Spinal Cord Compression Cancers on or near the spinal cord or its nerves can cause reduced function and pain. Sometimes this can cause issues with control of urination or bowel movements. The longer a tumor presses against the spinal cord, the less likely it is that treatment will restore normal function.
- Brain Function Issues Brain cancers can alter how your brain works. Symptoms vary but might include confusion, agitation, headaches, weakness, seizures, nausea, vomiting, and changes in how you see or feel things.
- Hypercalcemia Cancer cells may cause abnormally high calcium levels in the blood, and this is the most common life-threatening complication of cancer in adults.
- Blood Clots Cancer can make the blood thicker and stickier, making it more likely to clot. In the legs, clotting can cause swelling. If the clot is in the lung, you might experience shortness of breath.
- Pleural Effusion A tumor can also mean that abnormal fluid builds up in the sac that surrounds the lungs, leading to breathing problems.
Cancer treatment can also lead to severe and long-lasting side effects. These can increase the risks of other health problems and disrupt daily function. Cancer treatment side effects can involve the following:
- Neutropenia, or low level of white blood cells
- Lymphedema, or swelling caused by a buildup of lymph fluids
- Hair loss
- Cognitive issues
- Cancer pain from surgery, radiation-induced tissue damage, or chemotherapy
- Blood clots
- Depression
- Sexual dysfunction
While discussing treatment with you, a doctor will explain the benefits and risks of each option, allowing you to make an informed decision about balancing the effects of treatment on cancer with its complications and side effects. The doctor will also consider ways to manage these, such as pain-relieving medications, mental health support, and other treatments.
Support for People With Cancer
This national organization provides free professional support services from specialized social workers, including counseling, support groups, and cancer education workshops. CancerCare also offers limited financial assistance for treatment-related costs such as transportation, home care, and childcare, along with a searchable database of other financial resources.
Through webinars and state-specific resources, Triage Cancer provides guidance on the practical, financial, and legal issues that can arise after a cancer diagnosis. It also offers a Legal and Financial Navigation Program that provides one-on-one assistance with health and disability insurance, employment rights, and estate planning.
This free worldwide service offers one-on-one peer support by matching Support Seekers - people with cancer, caregivers, survivors, and those who carry a genetic cancer risk - with Mentor Angels. These mentors are cancer survivors or caregivers who have faced similar diagnoses and life situations.
The Takeaway
- Cancer develops when abnormal cells in your body grow uncontrollably, forming tumors that invade healthy tissue. Cancer is a common disease. Due to medical advances, there are many more people living with cancer now than ever before.
- Regular screenings can detect some cancer early, improving your chances of survival, so speak to your doctor about which cancer screenings are suitable for you.
- Diagnosis often involves a biopsy, scans, or blood tests. Treatment usually involves a combination of surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and other options. These can cause a range of side effects, but your cancer care team will explain the risks and benefits.
- Anyone can get cancer, but certain risk factors like smoking, sun exposure, and family history can increase your chances. Managing risk factors and staying on top of routine screenings can help you catch cancer early, when it's most treatable.
FAQ
What is cancer?
Cancer is a disease of abnormal cell growth. Cells within the body lose the ability to stop dividing and multiply to the point that they invade normal tissue and impair organ function. It can occur in many organs and tissues.
What are some early signs of cancer?
Common early signs of cancer include unexplained weight loss, fatigue, unusual bleeding or discharge, skin changes, fever, or night sweats. But the symptoms are often not the same between cancer types and even between patients with the same cancer.
Can cancer be cured?
Some cancers can be cured. This is more likely if the cancer is diagnosed before it has had the chance to spread throughout the body. As screening and early detection have improved, along with treatment, mortality rates due to cancer have significantly declined.
How does cancer start?
Cancer starts when faulty genes change the way cells work in the body. It usually takes several mutations for a cell to become cancerous. Mutations may be inherited or acquired through age or exposure to harmful substances or radiation.
How do you die from cancer?
Cancer kills when it invades organs and prevents them from functioning, which happens in the later stages of the disease.
Resources We Trust
- Mayo Clinic: Cancer Prevention: 7 Tips to Reduce Your Risk
- Cleveland Clinic: 9 Best Ways To Support Someone Who’s Going Through Cancer Treatment
- National Cancer Institute: Cancer Statistics
- American Cancer Society: Support and Online Communities
- Cancer Research Institute: Cancer Clinical Trials
EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
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Meet Our Experts
Tawee Tanvetyanon, MD, MPH
Medical Reviewer
Tawee Tanvetyanon, MD, MPH, is a professor of oncologic sciences and senior member at H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Morsani College of Medicine at the University of South Florida in Tampa. He is a practicing medical oncologist specializing in lung cancer, thymic malignancy, and mesothelioma.
A physician manager of lung cancer screening program, he also serves as a faculty panelist for NCCN (National Comprehensive Cancer Network) guidelines in non-small cell lung cancer, mesothelioma, thymoma, and smoking cessation. To date, he has authored or coauthored over 100 biomedical publications indexed by Pubmed.
Adam Felman
Author
Adam is a freelance writer and editor based in Sussex, England. He loves creating content that helps people and animals feel better. His credits include Medical News Today, Greatist, ZOE, MyLifeforce, and Rover, and he also spent a stint as senior updates editor for Screen Rant.
As a hearing aid user and hearing loss advocate, Adam greatly values content that illuminates invisible disabilities. (He's also a music producer and loves the opportunity to explore the junction at which hearing loss and music collide head-on.)
In his spare time, Adam enjoys running along Worthing seafront, hanging out with his rescue dog, Maggie, and performing loop artistry for disgruntled-looking rooms of 10 people or less.