Cancer Types

Head and neck cancer is a broad term for cancers that start in areas such as the mouth, lips, tongue, throat, voice box, salivary glands, nasal cavity or sinuses. 

The medical term for the throat is pharynx. Your voice box (larynx) is also part of your throat. Throat cancer can start anywhere in the pharynx or larynx. 

Mouth cancer includes any cancer that starts in your lips, gums, front of your tongue, or soft tissues of your mouth. 

Tongue cancer begins anywhere on your tongue. Cancer that starts on the front of your tongue is classified as mouth or oral cancer. When it starts in the far back of the tongue, near your throat, it’s called oropharyngeal cancer.

Thyroid cancer develops in your thyroid, a small, butterfly-shaped gland in the front of your neck. Your thyroid makes and releases hormones that regulate your metabolism, including how your body turns food into energy for your cells. Side effects of thyroid cancer treatments can affect your appetite, digestion, and nutrient absorption.

Your oesophagus is the long, muscular food tube that connects your throat to your stomach. Cancer here can affect your ability to eat or drink. Oesophageal cancer is classified as a gastrointestinal cancer. Cancer in the upper, or cervical, part of the oesophagus is close to the throat and may sometimes be managed by a multidisciplinary team that includes head and neck specialists.

Gastric cancer is stomach cancer, and it can start in any part of the stomach. Cancer here can affect your nutrition because the stomach stores and helps digest food before it passes into the small intestine, where most nutrients are absorbed. Also, tumours in your stomach can cause blockages, making you feel full very quickly and limiting how much food you can eat.

Pancreatic cancer starts as a growth of abnormal cells in the pancreas, an organ that sits behind the stomach. Your pancreas produces digestive enzymes that are released into the small intestine and break down fat, protein, and carbohydrates in food. It also produces hormones that regulate blood sugar.

Pancreatic cancer can affect nutrition. In some people, a tumour or cancer treatment reduces the amount of digestive enzymes reaching the small intestine, making it harder to digest food and absorb nutrients. As a result, weight loss is common with pancreatic cancer. Tumours that affect blood sugar-regulating hormones can trigger or worsen diabetes, which also contributes to weight loss.

Primary liver cancer starts in your liver, a large organ in your abdomen that filters toxins from your blood. It’s also vital for digestion, blood sugar regulation, blood clotting, vitamin and iron storage, and more. Cancer that spreads to the liver from somewhere else is secondary liver cancer.

Colorectal cancer, also called bowel cancer, starts in the colon or rectum. The colon and rectum form the large intestine.

Lung cancer can start in your windpipe (trachea), airways (bronchi), or the cells lining the surface of your lungs. Tumours in your airways can make it hard to breathe and leave you feeling fatigued and short of breath. About 60% of people with lung cancer also experience loss of appetite and weight loss from the cancer itself and treatments.

Breast cancer starts when abnormal cells grow out of control in breast tissue. It’s the most common cancer in women, but men can get breast cancer too.