Review: Categories of Cancer

Here is what we have learned from Categories of Cancer:

• Cancers can be classified based either on histological type or their primary site (the location where the cancer originated).
• Derivation of cells and tissues starts with cell differentiation, which refers to the process of cells becoming arranged into three distinct germ layers: an outer ectoderm, an inner endoderm, and a mesoderm in between.
• All of the organs of the body develop or differentiate from these three primary germ layers.
• Tissue is composed of a group of cells that are similar in structure and perform one or more common functions.
• Five major categories of cancer, based on their histological characteristics, are: carcinoma; sarcoma; myeloma; leukemia; and lymphoma. In addition, there are also some mixed types.
• The most common sites in which cancer develops include the skin, lungs, female breasts, prostate, colon and rectum, and uterus.