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Cancer basics
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Guides by cancer type
Each guide follows the same trusted structure: what it is · staging in plain terms · the standard of care · how each treatment works · latest studies · your questions answered.
Breast Cancer
Breast cancer begins when cells in the breast's ducts or lobules grow out of control; caught early, it is highly treatable.
Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer grows in the walnut-sized gland below the bladder; most cases grow slowly and are highly curable.
Lung Cancer
Lung cancer begins when cells in the lungs grow out of control; found early, many cases can be cured — and low-dose CT screening is finding more of them in time.
Colorectal Cancer
Colorectal cancer starts in the colon or rectum, usually from a small growth called a polyp; screening can catch and remove polyps before they ever become cancer.
Brain Cancer
Brain tumors form when cells in or around the brain grow abnormally; treatment combines surgery, radiation, and medicine, tailored to the tumor type.
Skin Cancer: Non-Melanoma vs. Melanoma
Skin cancer is the most common cancer of all; the everyday non-melanoma types are highly curable, often without surgery.
Head & Neck Cancer
Head and neck cancers arise in the mouth, throat, voice box, and related areas; many — especially HPV-related throat cancers — are very curable.
Bladder Cancer
Bladder cancer starts in the lining of the bladder and often shows up as blood in the urine; when it is caught before it grows into the muscle, it is very treatable.
Lymphoma
Lymphoma is a cancer of the immune system's white blood cells; many forms are among the most curable of all cancers.
Melanoma
Melanoma is a serious skin cancer that begins in pigment-making cells; found early it is almost always curable, and new medicines have transformed advanced disease.
Kidney Cancer
Kidney cancer forms in the filtering organs of the urinary system; many are found early by chance on scans and cured with surgery — and precise radiation is a newer option.
Uterine (Endometrial) Cancer
Uterine cancer usually starts in the lining of the womb and most often announces itself early with abnormal bleeding — which is why it is frequently caught and cured.
Cervical Cancer
Cervical cancer starts in the lower part of the uterus and is caused by HPV — making it one of the few cancers we can largely prevent through vaccination and screening.
Pancreatic Cancer
Pancreatic cancer forms in the digestive gland behind the stomach; it is challenging because it often hides until it grows, but treatments and precise radiation keep improving.
Anal Cancer
Anal cancer is usually cured without surgery, using a proven combination of radiation and chemotherapy that preserves normal function.
Metastatic Cancer
Metastatic cancer has spread beyond where it started; when only a few spots exist (oligometastatic), focused radiation can sometimes treat it for cure.
Liver Cancer
Liver cancer starts in the cells of the liver; when found early it can often be cured, and precise radiation now gives many patients a non-surgical path to control.
Stomach (Gastric) Cancer
Stomach cancer begins in the lining of the stomach; caught early it is highly curable, and combined treatment — including radiation — improves cure rates for more advanced disease.
Esophageal Cancer
Esophageal cancer forms in the tube that carries food to the stomach; radiation combined with chemotherapy is central to treatment, and can even cure some patients without surgery.
Ovarian Cancer
Ovarian cancer starts in the ovaries or nearby tissue; surgery and chemotherapy lead treatment, with newer targeted drugs and selective radiation helping control disease and relieve symptoms.
Thyroid Cancer
Thyroid cancer forms in the butterfly-shaped gland in the neck; most types are highly curable, often with surgery and radioactive iodine rather than external radiation.
Sarcoma (Soft-Tissue & Bone)
Sarcomas are rare cancers of the body's connective tissues — muscle, fat, nerve, and bone; combining surgery with precisely targeted radiation offers the best chance to cure them while preserving the limb.
Leukemia
Leukemia is cancer of the blood and bone marrow; treated mainly with medicines, with radiation playing key supporting roles — especially in preparing for a stem-cell transplant.
Multiple Myeloma
Multiple myeloma is a cancer of plasma cells in the bone marrow; modern medicines control it for many years, and targeted radiation is highly effective for relieving bone pain.
Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor (GIST)
GIST is an uncommon tumor of the digestive tract's own pacemaker cells; surgery and targeted pill medicines control it remarkably well, and radiation has a focused, supportive role.
Gallbladder & Bile Duct Cancer
These uncommon cancers of the biliary system are best treated by a coordinated team; surgery offers the best chance of cure, and radiation paired with chemotherapy helps control disease and relieve blockage.
Neuroendocrine Tumors (NETs)
Neuroendocrine tumors grow from the body's hormone-producing cells and often grow slowly; many are highly treatable, and a special form of targeted radiation can find and treat them throughout the body.
Testicular Cancer
Testicular cancer is among the most curable of all cancers, even when it has spread; for one common type, low-dose radiation is a proven, well-tolerated option after surgery.
Vaginal & Vulvar Cancer
These uncommon gynecologic cancers are often linked to HPV and are very treatable when found early; radiation, sometimes with chemotherapy, can cure many cases while preserving function.
Penile Cancer
Penile cancer is rare and often curable, especially when caught early; modern, organ-preserving treatments — including radiation — aim to cure while keeping as much normal form and function as possible.
Thymoma & Thymic Cancer
These rare tumors of the thymus gland behind the breastbone are often slow-growing and very treatable; surgery is the cornerstone, and radiation helps secure control after surgery or when removal isn't complete.
Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma is an uncommon cancer of the lining around the lungs or abdomen, usually linked to past asbestos exposure; a coordinated team using surgery, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and radiation can meaningfully control it.
Adrenal Cancer (Adrenocortical Carcinoma)
Adrenal cancer is a rare tumor of the small hormone-making glands above the kidneys; surgery is the main cure, and radiation and medicine help control it and ease symptoms.
Small Intestine Cancer
Small intestine cancer is an uncommon tumor of the long middle section of the gut; surgery is the main treatment, with chemotherapy and focused radiation in supporting roles.
Appendix Cancer (Appendiceal Cancer)
Appendix cancer is a rare tumor of the small pouch off the colon, often found by surprise during appendix surgery; treatment centers on surgery, sometimes with heated chemotherapy in the abdomen.
Salivary Gland Cancer
Salivary gland cancer is an uncommon tumor of the glands that make saliva; surgery is the main treatment, and radiation — sometimes with specialized particle beams — plays a major supporting role.
Nasopharyngeal Cancer
Nasopharyngeal cancer forms high in the throat behind the nose; because surgery there is difficult, radiation — usually with chemotherapy — is the main, often curative treatment.
Merkel Cell Carcinoma
Merkel cell carcinoma is a rare, fast-growing skin cancer; it is very sensitive to radiation, and surgery, radiation, and immunotherapy together give the best control.
Ocular Melanoma (Eye Melanoma)
Ocular melanoma is a rare cancer inside the eye; precise radiation, often a small implant placed on the eye, controls most tumors while preserving the eye itself.
Osteosarcoma (Bone Cancer)
Osteosarcoma is the most common bone cancer, often in teenagers and young adults; chemotherapy and surgery are the cure, with radiation used in specific, hard-to-reach situations.
Pheochromocytoma & Paraganglioma
Pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma are rare tumors that can release adrenaline-like hormones; surgery is the main treatment, and special targeted radiation can control tumors that have spread.
Ureteral & Upper Tract Cancer
Ureteral cancer is a rare cancer of the thin tubes that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder; surgery is the main treatment, with radiation and medicine added in selected cases.
Urethral Cancer
Urethral cancer is a rare cancer of the tube that carries urine out of the body; treatment combines surgery, radiation, and medicine, often aiming to preserve function.
Ewing Sarcoma
Ewing sarcoma is a rare bone and soft-tissue cancer mostly in children and young adults; it is very sensitive to chemotherapy and radiation, which work together with surgery to cure many patients.
Chordoma
Chordoma is a rare, slow-growing bone cancer of the spine and skull base; surgery and high-dose particle radiation are the cornerstones of treatment.
Eyelid & Conjunctival Cancer
Eyelid and conjunctival cancers are skin and surface cancers of the eye area; most are highly curable, and radiation helps treat the eye while preserving sight.
Parathyroid Cancer
Parathyroid cancer is a very rare cancer of the tiny calcium-controlling glands in the neck; surgery is the main cure, and radiation helps lower the chance of return.
Wilms Tumor (Childhood Kidney Cancer)
Wilms tumor is the most common kidney cancer in children; it responds very well to surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation, and most children are cured.
Gestational Trophoblastic Disease
Gestational trophoblastic disease is a rare group of tumors that grow from the tissue that would normally become the placenta; it is highly treatable and one of the most curable of all cancers.
Retinoblastoma (Childhood Eye Cancer)
Retinoblastoma is a rare eye cancer of young children that is highly curable, with modern treatment focused on saving the child's life, the eye, and vision whenever possible.
Hypopharyngeal Cancer
Hypopharyngeal cancer forms in the lower part of the throat near the voice box; modern chemoradiation can often cure it while preserving the ability to speak and swallow.
Laryngeal (Voice Box) Cancer
Laryngeal cancer forms in the voice box; when caught early it is highly curable with radiation that preserves the voice, and even advanced cases can often be cured while keeping the larynx.
Nasal Cavity & Paranasal Sinus Cancer
Nasal and paranasal sinus cancers form in the space behind the nose and the air pockets around it; they are treated with surgery and precisely targeted radiation that protects the nearby eyes and brain.
Pituitary Tumors
Pituitary tumors grow in the small hormone-control gland at the base of the brain; most are benign and very treatable, with focused radiation reserved for tumors that persist after surgery or medication.
Plasmacytoma (Solitary Plasma Cell Tumor)
A plasmacytoma is a single tumor made of plasma cells; it is highly sensitive to radiation, which is the main, often curative treatment for this localized disease.
Neuroblastoma (Childhood Nerve Cancer)
Neuroblastoma is a cancer of early nerve cells that affects young children; treatment is matched to risk, ranging from observation to intensive therapy, and radiation plays an important role in high-risk disease.
Oropharyngeal (Throat) Cancer
Oropharyngeal cancer affects the middle of the throat — the tonsils and base of the tongue — and the most common form today is caused by HPV, which responds especially well to radiation and is highly curable.
Oral Cavity (Mouth) Cancer
Oral cavity cancer forms in the mouth — most often the tongue, gums, or floor of the mouth — and is highly curable when found early, with surgery and radiation as the main treatments.
Rhabdomyosarcoma
Rhabdomyosarcoma is a soft-tissue cancer that most often affects children and is treated with a combination of chemotherapy, radiation, and sometimes surgery — an approach that cures the majority of patients.
Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer
Anaplastic thyroid cancer is a rare, fast-growing thyroid cancer that requires urgent, coordinated treatment — and new targeted drugs matched to its genetics are improving outcomes for some patients.
Primary CNS Lymphoma
Primary CNS lymphoma is a lymphoma that begins in the brain, spinal cord, or eyes; it is treated mainly with specialized chemotherapy that reaches the brain, with radiation used in selected situations.
Bile Duct Cancer (Cholangiocarcinoma)
Bile duct cancer (cholangiocarcinoma) arises in the tubes that carry bile from the liver; treatment depends on where it forms, and radiation plays an important role in controlling tumors that cannot be removed.
Cutaneous (Skin) Lymphoma
Cutaneous lymphoma is a lymphoma that begins in the skin rather than the lymph nodes; it is usually slow-growing, and radiation is one of the most effective treatments for clearing skin lesions.
Spinal Cord & Spinal Tumors
Spinal tumors grow in or around the spinal cord and spine; treatment protects nerve function, and precise radiation — including spine SBRT — can control tumors while sparing the delicate spinal cord.
Medullary Thyroid Cancer
Medullary thyroid cancer starts in the thyroid's hormone-making C cells, is tracked with the blood markers calcitonin and CEA, is often linked to the RET gene, and is treated mainly with surgery — with radiation and targeted pills for harder-to-control disease.
Medulloblastoma
Medulloblastoma is a fast-growing brain tumor of the cerebellum, most common in children; it is highly curable with surgery, craniospinal radiation, and chemotherapy, and modern radiation is carefully shaped to protect the developing brain.
Ependymoma
Ependymoma is a tumor that grows from the lining of the brain's fluid spaces and the spinal cord; surgery to remove it as completely as possible plus focused radiation gives the best chance of long-term control.
Craniopharyngioma
Craniopharyngioma is a noncancerous but troublesome brain tumor near the pituitary gland and optic nerves; precise radiation, often after limited surgery, controls it while protecting vision and hormones.
Intracranial Germ Cell Tumors (Germinoma)
Intracranial germ cell tumors arise deep in the brain in children and young adults; germinomas are exquisitely sensitive to radiation and among the most curable brain tumors, with modern treatment carefully reducing radiation to protect the developing brain.
Small Cell Lung Cancer
Small cell lung cancer is a fast-growing lung cancer strongly tied to smoking; it responds quickly to chemotherapy and radiation, and timely combined treatment — sometimes with radiation to prevent spread to the brain — offers the best chance of control.
Ampullary Cancer
Ampullary cancer forms at the small junction where the bile and pancreatic ducts drain into the intestine; because it blocks bile early, it is often found sooner than nearby cancers, and surgery offers the best chance of cure, sometimes with radiation and chemotherapy.
Primary Peritoneal Cancer
Primary peritoneal cancer arises from the lining of the abdomen and behaves much like ovarian cancer; it is treated with surgery and chemotherapy, with radiation reserved for relieving symptoms or treating specific spots.
Choroid Plexus Tumors
Choroid plexus tumors grow from the tissue that makes the brain's fluid; most are curable with surgery alone, while the aggressive carcinoma form also needs chemotherapy and carefully shaped radiation to protect a child's developing brain.
Atypical Teratoid/Rhabdoid Tumor (ATRT)
ATRT is a rare, fast-growing brain tumor of very young children; cure is possible with intensive, coordinated treatment — surgery, multi-drug chemotherapy, and carefully shaped radiation — delivered urgently and tailored to the child's age.
Pineal Region Tumors & Pineoblastoma
Tumors of the pineal region sit deep in the center of the brain near the pineal gland; treatment ranges from surgery alone for benign types to surgery, chemotherapy, and craniospinal radiation for the aggressive pineoblastoma, with modern beams shaped to protect the developing brain.
Peritoneal Mesothelioma
Peritoneal mesothelioma is a rare cancer of the lining of the abdomen; the main treatment is specialized surgery to remove visible tumor combined with heated chemotherapy bathed directly in the abdomen, with systemic therapy and, occasionally, targeted radiation for symptom relief.
Cancer of Unknown Primary (CUP)
Cancer of unknown primary is cancer found in the body when doctors cannot pinpoint where it started; modern tissue and molecular testing increasingly reveal the likely origin, allowing treatment — including targeted radiation — to be tailored to the most probable cancer type.
Desmoid Tumors (Aggressive Fibromatosis)
Desmoid tumors are non-cancerous but locally invasive growths of connective tissue; many are simply watched, and when treatment is needed, options now include newer targeted medicine, surgery, and radiation for tumors that cannot be removed.
Kaposi Sarcoma
Kaposi sarcoma is a cancer of blood-vessel-lining cells caused by a herpes virus, appearing as skin lesions and sometimes affecting internal organs; the most important treatment is restoring the immune system, and the tumor itself is very sensitive to radiation.
Angiosarcoma
Angiosarcoma is a rare, aggressive cancer of the cells that line blood and lymph vessels; treatment combines surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, and it can arise in skin previously treated with radiation or in long-standing lymphedema.
Basal Cell Carcinoma (Skin Cancer)
Basal cell carcinoma is the most common cancer in people — a slow-growing skin cancer that almost never spreads, is highly curable, and can often be treated without surgery using precise radiation that preserves the look and function of the skin.
Squamous Cell Skin Cancer (Cutaneous SCC)
Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma is the second most common skin cancer — usually very curable, but with a small chance of spreading, which is why high-risk cases get extra attention, and radiation offers a precise, non-surgical cure for delicate areas.
Meningioma (Brain & Spine Membrane Tumor)
Meningioma is the most common tumor of the brain and spine and is usually benign — many are simply watched, and when treatment is needed, focused radiation, including a single-session radiosurgery, can control them precisely while protecting the brain.
Acoustic Neuroma (Vestibular Schwannoma)
An acoustic neuroma is a benign tumor on the hearing-and-balance nerve — many are simply monitored, and when treatment is needed, single-session radiosurgery can control it precisely while protecting hearing and facial movement.
Carcinoid Tumors (Well-Differentiated Neuroendocrine Tumors)
Carcinoid tumors are slow-growing neuroendocrine tumors, most often in the lung or digestive tract — many are cured by surgery, and when they spread, hormone-blocking medicine and a special targeted radiation called PRRT can control them for years.
Ovarian Germ Cell Tumors
Ovarian germ cell tumors mostly affect girls and young women and are among the most curable cancers — usually treated with fertility-sparing surgery and, when needed, highly effective chemotherapy, with radiation reserved for select situations.
Extragonadal Germ Cell Tumors
Extragonadal germ cell tumors are uncommon cancers that arise from germ cells outside the ovary or testicle — usually in the chest or back of the abdomen — and, like their testicular cousins, are highly treatable, mainly with chemotherapy and surgery.
Dermatofibrosarcoma Protuberans (DFSP)
DFSP is a rare, slow-growing skin sarcoma that almost never spreads but can come back locally — usually cured by specialized surgery, with radiation and a targeted pill available for difficult cases.
Neurofibroma (including Plexiform)
Neurofibromas are usually benign tumors that grow on nerves; most need no treatment, larger or plexiform ones are watched or removed, and a newer targeted pill can shrink them — radiation is used sparingly because it can raise long-term risk in nerve-tumor syndromes.
Hemangioblastoma
Hemangioblastomas are benign, blood-vessel-rich tumors of the brain, brainstem, or spinal cord; many are cured by surgery, focused radiosurgery controls those that are hard to reach, and finding several can point to the inherited VHL syndrome.
Glomus Tumor (Head & Neck Paraganglioma)
Glomus tumors are usually benign, slow-growing tumors of the head and neck that wrap around blood vessels and nerves; focused radiation (radiosurgery) often controls them with less risk than surgery, and several occurring together can point to an inherited cause.
Sebaceous Carcinoma
Sebaceous carcinoma is an uncommon, aggressive skin cancer that most often arises on the eyelid; surgery is the main cure, radiation treats tumors that can't be fully removed or have higher risk, and several cases can signal an inherited syndrome.
Microcystic Adnexal Carcinoma
Microcystic adnexal carcinoma is a rare, slow-growing skin cancer — usually on the face — that almost never spreads but burrows deeply and along nerves, so it is treated with margin-controlled surgery and radiation for difficult cases.
Atypical Fibroxanthoma
Atypical fibroxanthoma is a low-grade skin cancer of sun-damaged skin, usually on the head and neck of older adults; it rarely spreads and is almost always cured by margin-controlled surgery, with radiation reserved for difficult cases.
Hepatoblastoma (Childhood Liver Cancer)
Hepatoblastoma is the most common liver cancer in young children; most are cured with chemotherapy to shrink the tumor followed by surgery or, for the most extensive cases, a liver transplant — radiation is used selectively, with proton therapy favored to protect a growing child.
Undifferentiated Pleomorphic Sarcoma (UPS)
Undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma is one of the most common soft-tissue sarcomas of adults, usually a deep mass in an arm or leg; it is treated with limb-sparing surgery combined with radiation, which works microscopically beyond the tumor's edge to make removal safer and lower the chance of recurrence.
Liposarcoma
Liposarcoma is a cancer that arises from the body's fat cells, most often as a deep, painless mass in a limb or deep in the back of the abdomen; treatment centers on careful surgery, with radiation used to control the microscopic disease that extends beyond the visible tumor and to lower the chance of it coming back.
Leiomyosarcoma
Leiomyosarcoma is a cancer of smooth muscle — the involuntary muscle found in blood vessel walls, the uterus, and the digestive tract — that can appear in a limb, deep in the abdomen, or in the uterus; treatment centers on surgery, with radiation used to control microscopic disease and lower the chance of local recurrence.
Synovial Sarcoma
Synovial sarcoma is a soft-tissue cancer that most often appears as a deep mass near a joint in a younger adult; it is defined by a specific gene fusion, and it is treated with limb-sparing surgery and radiation, with chemotherapy playing a larger role than in many other sarcomas.
Myxofibrosarcoma
Myxofibrosarcoma is a soft-tissue sarcoma of older adults that usually appears as a slow-growing mass in or just under the skin of an arm or leg; it is notorious for spreading microscopic 'tails' far beyond the visible tumor, which is exactly why radiation is paired with surgery to lower the high chance of local recurrence.
Epithelioid Sarcoma
Epithelioid sarcoma is a rare, slow-growing soft-tissue cancer of younger adults that usually starts as a firm nodule on a hand, forearm, or lower leg; it is treated with surgery and radiation, with a newer targeted pill now available for advanced disease.
Clear Cell Sarcoma
Clear cell sarcoma is a rare soft-tissue cancer of younger adults that usually arises near tendons of the foot or ankle; though it makes the same pigment as melanoma, it is a sarcoma defined by its own gene fusion, and it is treated with surgery and radiation, with attention to the lymph nodes.
Malignant Rhabdoid Tumor
Malignant rhabdoid tumor is a rare, aggressive cancer of infancy and early childhood that arises in the kidney or other soft tissues; it is defined by loss of the SMARCB1 gene and is treated urgently with surgery, intensive chemotherapy, and radiation, with proton therapy favored to protect a young child's growing body.
Infantile Fibrosarcoma
Infantile fibrosarcoma is a soft-tissue tumor of babies and toddlers that, despite looking aggressive, rarely spreads and is highly curable; it is driven by a specific gene fusion that a targeted pill can shut down, so treatment now often spares infants from intensive chemotherapy and radiation.
Alveolar Soft Part Sarcoma
Alveolar soft part sarcoma is a rare, slow-growing soft-tissue cancer of young people that often forms a painless deep mass but has a strong tendency to spread quietly to the lungs and brain; because it resists ordinary chemotherapy, treatment relies on complete surgery, radiation to control the tumor where it started, and newer targeted and immune therapies for disease that has spread.
Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor (MPNST)
A malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor is an aggressive soft-tissue cancer that grows from the protective lining of a nerve, often arising in people with the inherited condition neurofibromatosis type 1; treatment centers on complete surgery, with radiation used to control the microscopic disease that spreads along the nerve and to lower the chance of it coming back.
Solitary Fibrous Tumor
A solitary fibrous tumor is an uncommon growth of connective tissue — once called hemangiopericytoma — that most often arises around the lining of the lung or in the brain's coverings; most behave gently and are cured by surgery, but some can return or spread years later, so radiation is used to control disease that can't be fully removed and to lower the chance of it coming back.
Epithelioid Hemangioendothelioma
Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma is a rare cancer of the cells that line blood vessels, often appearing in the liver, lungs, or bone as several spots at once; its pace varies widely — from years of stability that may only need watching to disease that needs treatment — so care is individualized, with radiation used to control specific painful or problem areas.
Desmoplastic Small Round Cell Tumor (DSRCT)
Desmoplastic small round cell tumor is a rare, aggressive cancer that mostly strikes teenagers and young men, scattering tumors across the lining of the abdomen; because it spreads within the belly so widely, treatment is intensive and combines chemotherapy, surgery to remove as much tumor as possible, and radiation to the whole abdomen to control the microscopic disease left behind.
Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma
Adenoid cystic carcinoma is a slow-growing but persistent cancer of the salivary and other secretory glands that has a striking tendency to creep along nerves; treatment combines surgery with radiation — often using precise photon, neutron, or proton beams — to control the microscopic disease that travels beyond the visible tumor.
Porocarcinoma
Porocarcinoma is a rare skin cancer that arises from the cells of a sweat-gland duct, usually as a slowly changing bump on the head, leg, or trunk of an older adult; most are cured by complete surgical removal, with radiation used to lower the chance of return for high-risk tumors or to treat disease that can't be fully removed.
Eccrine Carcinoma (Sweat Gland Carcinoma)
Eccrine carcinoma is a rare group of skin cancers that arise from sweat glands, usually appearing as a slowly growing lump on the head, neck, or limbs; treatment centers on complete surgical removal, with radiation used to control microscopic disease — especially for tumors, like microcystic adnexal carcinoma, that creep along nerves.
Chondrosarcoma
Chondrosarcoma is a cancer that forms in cartilage, the smooth tissue that cushions bones; most grow slowly and are cured by surgery, but they resist ordinary chemo and radiation.
Giant Cell Tumor of Bone
Giant cell tumor of bone is usually benign but locally aggressive, eating into bone near a joint; surgery cures most, and a targeted drug (denosumab) can shrink tumors that can't be removed.
Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumor
Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors grow from the pancreas's hormone-making cells; many grow slowly, and a targeted radioactive medicine (PRRT) can treat tumors that have spread.
Phyllodes Tumor of the Breast
Phyllodes tumors are rare breast tumors that grow from the breast's supporting tissue; most are benign, and surgery with a clear margin is the main treatment.
Extramammary Paget Disease
Extramammary Paget disease is a slow-growing skin cancer of sweat-gland-rich areas like the groin; it spreads in the top layer of skin, and radiation can cure it when surgery can't.
Primary Cutaneous Mucinous Carcinoma
Primary cutaneous mucinous carcinoma is a rare, slow-growing sweat-gland skin cancer that often appears on the eyelid or face; surgery is the main cure, and it can recur locally.
Apocrine Carcinoma of the Skin
Primary cutaneous apocrine carcinoma is a rare sweat-gland skin cancer of the underarm and groin; surgery is the main treatment, with radiation for high-risk or node-positive disease.
Hidradenocarcinoma
Hidradenocarcinoma is a rare, aggressive sweat-gland skin cancer; complete surgery is the main treatment, and radiation is used for high-risk, recurrent, or unresectable disease.
Parosteal & Periosteal Osteosarcoma (Surface Osteosarcoma)
Surface osteosarcomas grow on the outside of a bone rather than deep inside it; most are low-grade, slow-growing, and cured by surgery alone, which makes them very different from ordinary (conventional) osteosarcoma.
Adamantinoma
Adamantinoma is a rare, slow-growing bone cancer that almost always starts in the shin bone (tibia); surgery to remove it completely is the only effective treatment, because it does not respond to radiation or chemotherapy.
Benign Notochordal Cell Tumor
A benign notochordal cell tumor is a harmless growth inside a spinal or skull-base bone, made of leftover cells from the notochord; most are found by chance, cause no symptoms, and need only watchful imaging rather than surgery or radiation.
Bronchial Carcinoid (Lung Neuroendocrine Tumor)
Bronchial carcinoids are slow-growing neuroendocrine tumors of the lung airways; most are cured by surgery, and when they spread there is a targeted 'radiation from within' treatment (PRRT) that homes in on the tumor cells.
Large Cell Neuroendocrine Carcinoma of the Lung
Large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC) is an aggressive, fast-growing lung cancer that behaves much like small cell lung cancer; treatment combines surgery or radiation for localized tumors with chemotherapy, and increasingly immunotherapy, for advanced disease.
Spiradenocarcinoma
Spiradenocarcinoma is a rare sweat-gland skin cancer that usually develops inside a long-standing benign skin lump; surgery to remove it completely is the cornerstone, with radiation added for high-risk or spreading tumors.
Malignant Chondroid Syringoma (Malignant Mixed Tumor of Skin)
Malignant chondroid syringoma is a very rare, aggressive sweat-gland skin cancer made of both gland-like and cartilage-like tissue; wide surgical removal is the main treatment, with radiation added when surgery can't fully control it or the cancer reaches lymph nodes.
Uterine Carcinosarcoma (Malignant Mixed Müllerian Tumor)
Uterine carcinosarcoma is an aggressive cancer of the uterus that contains two different cancer types blended together; treatment combines surgery, chemotherapy with carboplatin and paclitaxel, and often pelvic radiation.
Pleuropulmonary Blastoma
Pleuropulmonary blastoma (PPB) is a rare cancer of the lung and the lining around it that occurs in young children, and most cases are part of an inherited condition called DICER1 syndrome.
Pancreatoblastoma
Pancreatoblastoma is a rare cancer of the pancreas that occurs mostly in young children, and it is often curable when the tumor can be removed by surgery and supported with chemotherapy.
Fibrolamellar Carcinoma
Fibrolamellar carcinoma is a rare liver cancer that strikes teens and young adults who usually have healthy livers, and surgery to remove the tumor is the main path to cure.
Low-Grade Fibromyxoid Sarcoma
Low-grade fibromyxoid sarcoma is a slow-growing soft-tissue cancer that looks harmless under the microscope but can quietly return or spread to the lungs many years later, so complete surgery and long-term follow-up are essential.
Intimal Sarcoma
Intimal sarcoma is a rare, aggressive cancer that grows inside the wall of large blood vessels or the heart — most often the pulmonary artery — and is frequently mistaken at first for a blood clot.
Uterine Adenosarcoma
Uterine adenosarcoma is a rare cancer of the uterus made of a benign glandular part and a cancerous connective-tissue part; most behave gently, but a feature called sarcomatous overgrowth makes them far more dangerous.
Vulvovaginal Melanoma
Vulvovaginal melanoma is a rare, aggressive melanoma that arises on the vulva or in the vagina rather than on sun-exposed skin; treatment combines surgery, radiation, and modern immunotherapy.
Renal Medullary Carcinoma
Renal medullary carcinoma is a rare, aggressive kidney cancer that almost always occurs in young people with sickle cell trait, and it is treated mainly with platinum-based chemotherapy because surgery alone is rarely enough.
Collecting Duct Carcinoma
Collecting duct carcinoma is a rare, aggressive kidney cancer that begins deep in the kidney's drainage tubes and behaves more like an aggressive urinary-tract cancer, so it is treated mainly with chemotherapy alongside surgery rather than with the targeted pills used for common kidney cancers.
Pseudomyxoma Peritonei
Pseudomyxoma peritonei is a rare condition in which a usually slow-growing tumor — most often from the appendix — fills the belly with jelly-like mucus, and it is best treated with extensive surgery to remove the deposits combined with heated chemotherapy washed through the abdomen.
Clear Cell Adenocarcinoma of the Vagina and Cervix
Clear cell adenocarcinoma of the vagina or cervix is a rare gland-cell cancer historically linked to a medication (DES) given to some pregnant women decades ago, and it is treated with surgery and radiation, often combined, with very good results when caught early.
Esthesioneuroblastoma (Olfactory Neuroblastoma)
Esthesioneuroblastoma is a rare cancer that starts in the smell nerves high in the nose and is treated with surgery and radiation — often together — with radiation playing a central, curative role because of the tumor's delicate location near the brain and eyes.
Sinonasal Undifferentiated Carcinoma (SNUC)
Sinonasal undifferentiated carcinoma is a rare, fast-growing cancer of the nasal cavity and sinuses that is treated aggressively by combining chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery, with radiation a central part of cure because of its delicate location near the eyes and brain.
Sclerosing Epithelioid Fibrosarcoma
Sclerosing epithelioid fibrosarcoma is a rare, slow-but-stubborn soft-tissue sarcoma defined by a specific gene fusion, treated mainly with wide surgery and radiation because it resists ordinary chemotherapy and tends to come back or spread late.
Myoepithelial Carcinoma of Soft Tissue
Myoepithelial carcinoma is a rare soft-tissue cancer arising from specialized 'myoepithelial' cells; it is treated mainly with wide surgery and radiation, with the tumor's appearance under the microscope guiding how aggressively it is managed.
Secretory Carcinoma (Salivary Gland)
Secretory carcinoma is a usually low-grade salivary-gland cancer driven by a specific gene fusion (ETV6-NTRK3), treated mainly with surgery and radiation — and, importantly, with a targeted pill that can shrink advanced disease.
NUT Carcinoma
NUT carcinoma is a rare, fast-growing cancer defined by a single gene change (a NUTM1 fusion) that most often starts in the chest or the head and neck, and is treated with a combination of surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy alongside newer targeted drugs being tested in trials.
Acinic Cell Carcinoma (Salivary Gland)
Acinic cell carcinoma is a usually slow-growing, low-grade salivary-gland cancer most often found in the parotid gland, treated mainly with surgery and, when needed, radiation — with an excellent outlook for most patients.
Epithelial-Myoepithelial Carcinoma (Salivary Gland)
Epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma is a rare, usually low-grade salivary-gland cancer made of two cell types, treated mainly with surgery and, for higher-risk features, radiation — with a generally favorable outlook but a tendency to recur locally.
Sinonasal Neuroendocrine Carcinoma
Sinonasal neuroendocrine carcinoma is a rare, aggressive cancer of the nasal cavity and sinuses arising from hormone-sensing (neuroendocrine) cells, usually treated with chemotherapy and radiation — often with proton or intensity-modulated radiation to protect the eyes and brain.
Sclerosing Rhabdomyosarcoma
Sclerosing rhabdomyosarcoma is a rare subtype of muscle-forming soft-tissue sarcoma with a distinctive dense, scar-like background, treated with the rhabdomyosarcoma approach of chemotherapy plus local control by surgery and radiation.
Malignant Glomus Tumor (Glomangiosarcoma)
Malignant glomus tumor is a very rare cancerous form of the usually-benign glomus tumor — a growth of the tiny temperature-regulating structures in the skin — treated primarily with wide surgical removal, with radiation added for high-risk or unresectable cases.
PEComa (Perivascular Epithelioid Cell Tumor)
PEComa is a rare family of soft-tissue tumors driven by overactive mTOR signaling; most are benign or borderline and cured by surgery, while the rare malignant ones are now treated with an FDA-approved mTOR-inhibitor drug, nab-sirolimus, alongside surgery and radiation when useful.
Mucinous Tubular and Spindle Cell Carcinoma (Kidney)
Mucinous tubular and spindle cell carcinoma is a rare, usually low-grade kidney cancer with an excellent outlook, treated primarily with surgery — with radiation reserved for the uncommon cases that spread.
Polymorphous Adenocarcinoma
Polymorphous adenocarcinoma is a slow-growing salivary-gland cancer that almost always starts in the minor glands of the mouth — especially the roof of the mouth — and is usually cured by surgery alone.
Salivary Duct Carcinoma
Salivary duct carcinoma is an aggressive salivary-gland cancer that closely resembles a high-grade breast cancer — and, remarkably, can often be treated with the same kinds of hormone-blocking and HER2-targeted drugs.
Basal Cell Adenocarcinoma
Basal cell adenocarcinoma is a rare, low-grade salivary-gland cancer — usually in the parotid — that grows slowly and is cured in most people by complete surgery.
Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma
Alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma is an aggressive soft-tissue cancer of muscle-forming cells, most often in older children and teens, treated with intensive chemotherapy plus surgery and radiation to cure the disease.
Extraskeletal Myxoid Chondrosarcoma
Extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcoma is a rare, slow-growing soft-tissue sarcoma — not a true bone or cartilage cancer despite its name — that is controlled with surgery and radiation but tends to recur and spread very late.
Malignant Solitary Fibrous Tumor
Malignant solitary fibrous tumor is the aggressive form of a usually-benign fibrous tumor that can grow almost anywhere in the body; it is treated with surgery and radiation and watched closely because it can recur or spread many years later.
Translocation Renal Cell Carcinoma
Translocation renal cell carcinoma is a distinct kidney cancer driven by a TFE3 or TFEB gene fusion that tends to affect younger people, can spread to lymph nodes early, and is treated mainly with surgery plus modern targeted and immune therapies.
Small Cell Carcinoma of the Ovary
Small cell carcinoma of the ovary, hypercalcemic type (SCCOHT) is a very rare, aggressive ovarian cancer of young women driven by loss of the SMARCA4 gene, treated with intensive surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation — and increasingly with targeted and immune approaches.
Primary Urethral Adenocarcinoma
Primary urethral adenocarcinoma is a rare gland-forming cancer that begins in the urethra itself, treated with surgery and often organ-preserving chemotherapy and radiation depending on where it sits and how far it has spread.
Sertoli-Leydig Cell Tumor of the Ovary
Sertoli-Leydig cell tumors are rare ovarian tumors that often make male hormones, usually affect young women, are mostly cured by fertility-sparing surgery, and only occasionally need chemotherapy or radiation.
Steroid Cell Tumor of the Ovary
Ovarian steroid cell tumors are rare hormone-producing ovarian tumors, most of which are benign and cured by surgery, with chemotherapy or radiation reserved for the minority that behave aggressively.
Extraskeletal Osteosarcoma
Extraskeletal osteosarcoma is a rare bone-forming cancer that grows in the soft tissues rather than in bone, treated as a high-grade soft-tissue sarcoma with surgery and radiation, often with chemotherapy.
Inflammatory Myofibroblastic Tumor
Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor is a rare borderline tumor of children and young adults, often driven by an ALK gene change, that is usually cured by surgery and increasingly treated with targeted pills when it cannot be fully removed.
Lymphoepithelial Carcinoma
Lymphoepithelial carcinoma is a rare cancer that looks and behaves like nasopharyngeal cancer, is often linked to the Epstein-Barr virus, and is notably sensitive to radiation, which (with chemotherapy) is the mainstay of treatment.
Trichilemmal Carcinoma
Trichilemmal carcinoma is a rare skin cancer that arises from the outer root sheath of hair follicles, usually on sun-exposed skin of older adults; it is generally low-grade and cured by surgery, with radiation reserved for difficult cases.
Malignant Mixed Salivary Tumor (Carcinosarcoma & Carcinoma ex Pleomorphic Adenoma)
Malignant mixed salivary tumors are aggressive cancers that arise within or alongside a benign salivary gland tumor; they are treated with surgery plus radiation, with chemotherapy or targeted therapy added for high-risk and advanced disease.
Granulosa Cell Tumor of the Ovary
Granulosa cell tumors are uncommon, usually slow-growing ovarian tumors that often make estrogen, are mostly cured by surgery when found early, and are known for sometimes coming back many years later — so long-term follow-up matters.
Gonadoblastoma
Gonadoblastoma is a rare, mostly benign gonadal tumor that develops in people with certain differences of sex development who carry Y-chromosome material; it is important mainly because it can give rise to a true germ-cell cancer, so the standard treatment is preventive removal of the gonads.
Immature Teratoma of the Ovary
Immature teratoma is a rare ovarian germ-cell cancer of children and young women that is highly curable — usually with fertility-sparing surgery, sometimes followed by chemotherapy — while radiation is essentially not used.
Adrenocortical Carcinoma
Adrenocortical carcinoma is a rare, aggressive cancer of the adrenal gland's outer layer that often overproduces hormones; complete surgery offers the best chance of cure, usually followed by the adrenal-specific drug mitotane, with radiation used to reduce local recurrence.
Ossifying Fibromyxoid Tumor
Ossifying fibromyxoid tumor is a rare soft-tissue tumor that is usually benign and cured by complete surgical removal; a minority are malignant and can recur or spread, so the plan depends on the tumor's grade and how completely it is removed, with radiation reserved for higher-risk or difficult cases.
Phosphaturic Mesenchymal Tumor
Phosphaturic mesenchymal tumor is a rare, usually benign tumor that secretes a hormone (FGF23) and causes bone-softening 'tumor-induced osteomalacia'; complete surgical removal cures most cases and reverses the bone disease, with the FGF23-blocking drug burosumab and radiation reserved for tumors that can't be removed.
Gestational Choriocarcinoma
Gestational choriocarcinoma is a rare, fast-growing cancer that arises from placental tissue after a pregnancy; despite spreading quickly, it is one of the most curable cancers because it responds dramatically to chemotherapy, with surgery and radiation in supporting roles.
Tenosynovial Giant Cell Tumor
Tenosynovial giant cell tumor is a benign but locally aggressive growth of the joint lining (also called PVNS) that can damage a joint; surgery is the mainstay, while new targeted pills and, in selected cases, radiation help when surgery alone isn't enough.
Dysgerminoma
Dysgerminoma is the most common cancerous ovarian germ-cell tumor, usually in teens and young women — and although it can grow quickly, it is one of the most curable cancers there is, with surgery and chemotherapy that almost always preserve the chance to have children.
Yolk Sac Tumor
Yolk sac tumor is a fast-growing germ-cell cancer of the ovary or testicle (and sometimes other sites) that mostly affects children and young adults — it reliably raises the blood marker AFP, and modern surgery plus chemotherapy cure the large majority of patients.
Placental-Site Trophoblastic Tumor
Placental-site trophoblastic tumor is a rare cancer that grows from leftover placenta cells after a pregnancy — unlike most pregnancy-related tumors it resists chemotherapy, so surgery (usually hysterectomy) is the main cure.
Paraganglioma
Paraganglioma is a rare tumor of nerve-related hormone tissue found outside the adrenal gland — often slow-growing and frequently inherited — treated mainly with surgery, with a special 'radiation from within' therapy (Lutetium-177 DOTATATE) for tumors that have spread.
Parathyroid Carcinoma
Parathyroid carcinoma is a very rare cancer of one of the tiny neck glands that control calcium — most of its harm comes from sky-high calcium levels, and the best chance of cure is complete removal in one careful operation.
Periosteal Osteosarcoma
Periosteal osteosarcoma is an uncommon bone cancer that grows on the surface of a bone rather than deep inside it — it is intermediate-grade, sits between the gentler parosteal type and classic osteosarcoma, and is treated with surgery, usually with chemotherapy.
Desmoplastic Melanoma
Desmoplastic melanoma is an uncommon, often colorless form of melanoma that grows as a firm scar-like patch on sun-damaged skin and tends to creep along nerves — surgery is the main treatment, and unlike most melanomas it is notably responsive to radiation.
Mucosal Melanoma
Mucosal melanoma is a rare melanoma that starts on the moist inner linings of the body — such as the nose, mouth, or anorectal area — rather than the skin; it is not caused by sun, is often found late, and is treated with surgery plus radiation, with immunotherapy for advanced disease.
Non-Gestational Choriocarcinoma
Non-gestational choriocarcinoma is a rare, aggressive germ-cell cancer that makes the pregnancy hormone beta-hCG but does not arise from a pregnancy — it starts in the ovary, testicle, or chest — and is treated mainly with cisplatin-based chemotherapy, with surgery and occasionally radiation in support.
Polyembryoma
Polyembryoma is an extremely rare germ-cell tumor — made of structures that resemble very early embryos — that almost always appears as part of a mixed germ-cell tumor of the ovary or testicle and is treated, like its relatives, with surgery plus cisplatin-based chemotherapy.
Low-Grade Central Osteosarcoma
Low-grade central osteosarcoma is a rare, slow-growing bone cancer that forms inside the marrow cavity and behaves far more gently than ordinary osteosarcoma; complete surgical removal alone usually cures it, with chemotherapy added only if it has changed into a high-grade tumor.
Telangiectatic Osteosarcoma
Telangiectatic osteosarcoma is a rare, high-grade bone cancer made largely of blood-filled spaces that can be mistaken for a benign cyst; treated like conventional osteosarcoma with chemotherapy before and after surgery, its outlook is now similar to that of standard osteosarcoma.
Dedifferentiated Chondrosarcoma
Dedifferentiated chondrosarcoma is a rare, aggressive bone cancer in which a slow-growing cartilage tumor develops a separate high-grade sarcoma; treatment centers on wide surgical removal, with osteosarcoma-type chemotherapy and high-dose particle radiation used because ordinary cartilage tumors resist both.
Angiomatoid Fibrous Histiocytoma
Angiomatoid fibrous histiocytoma is a rare, slow-growing soft-tissue tumor of children and young adults that usually behaves gently; complete surgical removal cures most people, and only a small minority ever recur or spread.
Lacrimal Gland Carcinoma
Lacrimal gland carcinoma is a rare cancer of the tear-producing gland above the eye — most often the adenoid cystic type — that tends to invade along nerves; treatment combines eye-preserving surgery with high-dose proton or neutron radiation to control disease while protecting vision.
Ceruminous Adenocarcinoma
Ceruminous adenocarcinoma is a rare cancer of the wax-producing glands lining the outer ear canal; treatment is complete surgical removal, often followed by radiation, with long-term follow-up because it can recur locally.
Embryonal Carcinoma
Embryonal carcinoma is an aggressive type of germ-cell cancer, most often found in the testicle, that is highly curable with surgery and cisplatin-based chemotherapy; radiation has only a limited, selective role.
Spermatocytic Tumor
Spermatocytic tumor is a rare, slow-growing testicular tumor of older men that almost never spreads and is cured by surgery alone; radiation and chemotherapy are not needed in the usual case.
Mixed Germ-Cell Tumor
A mixed germ-cell tumor contains two or more germ-cell types in one mass and is the most common form of testicular cancer; it is highly curable with surgery and cisplatin-based chemotherapy, with radiation used only in select situations.
Mesenchymal Chondrosarcoma
Mesenchymal chondrosarcoma is a rare, aggressive cartilage-forming cancer of younger people that — unlike ordinary chondrosarcoma — responds to chemotherapy and radiation, so it is treated with surgery plus chemotherapy and often radiation.
Clear Cell Chondrosarcoma
Clear cell chondrosarcoma is a rare, slow-growing, low-grade cartilage cancer usually at the ends of long bones; it is cured by complete surgical removal, and because it resists radiation and chemotherapy, those are reserved for rare unresectable cases.
Malignant Cylindroma
Malignant cylindroma is a rare skin-appendage cancer that usually arises from a long-standing benign scalp tumor; treatment is complete surgical removal, often with radiation, and people with the inherited CYLD syndrome need genetic counseling and monitoring.
Conjunctival Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Conjunctival squamous cell carcinoma is a surface cancer of the clear membrane covering the white of the eye; it is treated with surgery plus topical chemotherapy eye drops, and radiation (often plaque brachytherapy) for higher-risk tumors, with excellent eye-preserving outcomes.
Clear Cell Sarcoma of the Kidney
Clear cell sarcoma of the kidney is a rare childhood kidney cancer known for spreading to bone; it is treated with surgery, intensive chemotherapy, and radiation, and modern combined treatment has greatly improved survival.
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