Agencies
Services
Types of Cancer
-
Bladder Cancer Bladder cancer is a common type of cancer that begins in the cells of the bladder, a hollow muscular organ in the lower abdomen that stores urine. The kidneys carry urine through the ureters to the bladder and out of the body through the urethra. -
Breast Cancer According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention each year in the United States, about 270,000 cases of breast cancer are diagnosed in women and about 2,300 in men. About 42,000 women and 500 men in the United States die each year from breast cancer. In 2021, Illinois reported 10,981 women and 117 men were diagnosed with breast cancer. During 2021, 1,697 women and 23 men died from breast cancer. -
Cervical Cancer Cervical cancer is a common kind of cancer found in women due to the cancer being found in the cells of the cervix. The cervix is the lower part of the uterus (womb) that connects to the vagina (birth canal). Cervical cancer begins when healthy cells develop changes (mutations) in their DNA. These mutations tell the cells to grow and multiply out of control and they don’t die. The abnormal cells begin to form a mass (tumor). When cells that are not normal begin to appear, this is called dysplasia. -
Colorectal Cancer Colorectal cancer starts in the colon or rectum. The colon and rectum comprise the large intestine (or the large bowel), which is part of the digestive system, known as the gastrointestinal (GI) system. -
Endometrial Cancer What is endometriosis? Endometriosis is a common, yet poorly understood, disease that can strike women of any socioeconomic class, age or race. It is estimated that between 10 percent and 20 percent of American women of childbearing age have endometriosis. The disease can affect nearly every aspect of a woman's life--her ability to work, her ability to reproduce, and her -
Kidney Cancer Kidney cancer is cancer of the kidneys. The kidneys are two bean-shaped organs that filter blood. Renal cell carcinoma is the most common type of kidney cancer and accounts for more than 90% of kidney cancer cases. Like other cancers, renal cell carcinoma begins small and grows larger over time. Normally, renal cell carcinoma (RCC) will grow as a single mass within the kidneys; however, there can be multiple tumors in the kidney. Sometimes tumors can be found in both kidneys at the same time. -
Leukemia Leukemia starts in the soft, inner part of the bones (bone marrow), but often moves quickly into the blood. It can then spread to other parts of the body, such as the lymph nodes, spleen, liver, central nervous system, and other organs. Both children and adults can get leukemia, which is a complex disease with many different types and subtypes. -
Liver Cancer The liver is the largest internal organ in the body. It lies under the right ribs, just beneath the right lung and diaphragm (the membrane below the lungs that moves up and down as you breathe). The liver performs several vital functions. It processes and stores many of the nutrients absorbed from the intestine, makes some of the clotting factors needed to stop bleeding from a cut or injury, and secretes bile into the intestine to help absorb nutrients. -
Lung Cancer Lung cancer is the leading cause of death. In Illinois, between 2016 and 2020, the mortality rate from lung cancer was 6.4%. Experts predict that in the next four years, twice as many women will die from lung cancer as from breast cancer. -
Multiple Myeloma Multiple myeloma is a type of cancer formed by cancerous plasma cells in the blood. Normal plasma cells are an important part of the body’s immune system. The immune system comprises several types of cells that work together to fight infections. Lymph cells (called “lymphocytes”) are the primary type of cell in the immune system. There are two types of lymph cells: T cells and B cells.
