Leading Types of Cancer

What are the leading types of cancer? Cancer rates and types can vary according to race, geography and age, but there are common types of cancer.


There are more than 200 different kinds of cancer. Some of those are rare forms of cancer.

Different types of cancer can effect every part of the body, and each one has its own unique symptoms, causes and treatment methods.

Two of the leading types of cancer in industrialized countries are lung cancer and skin cancer.

One of the least common cancers is leukemia.

Often we know what causes these cancers; sometimes we don't.

There is a high incidence of skin cancer due to over-exposure to the sun.

Recent studies show that sunlight is good for you, and some exposure to indirect sun is healthy. Our bodies need this to metabolize nutrients properly and to get vitamin D.

However, that is not to be taken as a license to forgo protective sun screen. Studies show that most skin lesions and cancers develop due to the damage skin received from the sun prior to age 18. It only takes one serious sunburn for skin to begin developing pre-cancerous cells.

Common Types of Cancer

This doesn't mean to say you should ignore any signs of cancer simply because the cancer type is rare. This is particularly true with symptoms of anal cancer.

Nearly 80% of all cancers are carcinomas. Skin cancer falls under this category, with basal cell carcinoma accounting for more than 90% of all skin cancers. Non-melanoma skin cancer remains one of the most common types of cancer in both men and women, with an estimated annual cases of 68,130 per year.

Other common types of cancer are:

One of the issues with different types of common cancers is how to best treat them.

Often patients will try traditional methods like radiation before trying alternative natural cures for cancer.

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