Cancer

Learn about cancer

Picture of a man and a woman walking while holding hands

Facing cancer can be scary, and most people have lots of questions. Our cancer topics cover many types of cancer, including breast cancer, colon cancer, prostate cancer, and many more. Whether you just found out you have cancer or have been living with it for a while, you'll find useful information such as treatment options and tips for living with cancer.

Get the information you need in our cancer and related topics such as:

More Information

Health Topics
Actinic Keratosis Active Surveillance for Prostate Cancer Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplant Anal Cancer Asbestos and Lung Cancer Autologous Stem Cell Transplant Back Surgeries for Tumors and Infections Bladder Cancer Body Image After Cancer Treatment Bowel Resection for Colorectal Cancer Breast Cancer Breast Cancer Classification Breast Cancer in Men (Male Breast Cancer) Breast Cancer Screening Breast Cancer, Metastatic or Recurrent Breast Cancer: Comparing Hormone-Blocking Treatments Breast Cancer: Lymph Node Surgery for Staging Cancer Breast Implant Surgery for Breast Reconstruction Breast Self-Examination Breast-Conserving Surgery (Lumpectomy or Partial Mastectomy) for Breast Cancer Cancer During Pregnancy Cancer Pain Cancer Staging and Grading Cancer Support: Being an Active Patient Cancer Support: Coping With Cancer Treatments Cancer Support: Dealing With Emotions and Fears Cancer Support: Family, Friends, and Relationships Cancer Support: Finding Out That You Have Cancer Cancer Support: Life After Treatment Cancer Support: Managing Stress Cancer Support: When Your Cancer Comes Back or Gets Worse Cancer Treatment: Symptoms Diary for Nausea and Vomiting Cancer: Home Treatment for Constipation Cancer: Home Treatment for Diarrhea Cancer: Home Treatment for Fatigue Cancer: Home Treatment for Mouth Sores Cancer: Home Treatment for Nausea or Vomiting Cancer: Home Treatment for Pain Cancer: Home Treatment for Sleep Problems Carbon Dioxide Laser Surgery for Abnormal Cervical Cell Changes Care at the End of Life Caregiver Support: Talking About End-of-Life Decisions Central Venous Catheters Cervical Cancer Cervical Cancer Screening Cervical Cancer: Radical Trachelectomy Choosing a Prosthesis After Breast Cancer Surgery Colon Cancer Genetic Testing Colon Cancer: What Raises Your Risk Colon Polyps Colorectal Cancer Colorectal Cancer Test Recommendations Colorectal Cancer, Metastatic or Recurrent Colostomy for Colorectal Cancer Cone Biopsy (Conization) for Abnormal Cervical Cell Changes Cryosurgery for Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer Cryosurgery for Prostate Cancer Cryotherapy for Abnormal Cervical Cell Changes Curettage and Electrosurgery for Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer Cystectomy for Bladder Cancer Eating Well During Cancer Treatment Emotional Reactions to a Diagnosis of Cancer Endometrial (Uterine) Cancer Excision for Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer Exercises After Mastectomy Family History and the Risk for Breast or Ovarian Cancer Getting Support When You Have Cancer Hair Loss From Cancer Treatment Health Problems Associated With Adult Obesity Health Risks Related to Smokeless Tobacco Hepatitis B and C: Risk of Liver Cancer Hormone Therapy for Prostate Cancer (Androgen Deprivation Therapy, or ADT) Hysterectomy for Endometrial Cancer Hysterectomy for Ovarian Cancer Indoor Tanning: Is It Safe? Inflammatory Breast Cancer Kidney (Renal Cell) Cancer Laser Surgery for Skin Cancer Leukemia Lifestyle Changes That May Prevent Cancer Liver Resection Living With More Than One Health Problem Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure (LEEP) for Abnormal Cervical Cell Changes Lung Cancer Lung Surgery for Lung Cancer Lymph Node Removal (Lymphadenectomy) for Melanoma Lymphadenectomy for Endometrial Cancer Lymphedema Mastectomy (Removal of the Breast) for Breast Cancer Medical Marijuana Metastatic Melanoma Mohs Micrographic Surgery for Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer Molar Pregnancy Nephrectomy Nerve Block for Pain Relief Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer: Comparing Treatments Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer: Photodynamic Therapy Oral Cancer Orchiectomy for Prostate Cancer Orchiectomy for Testicular Cancer Ovarian Cancer Pain Control at the End of Life Pain Management: Patient-Controlled Analgesia (PCA) Pump Pancreatic Cancer Postoperative Problems Primary Melanoma Prostate Cancer Prostate Cancer Screening Prostate Cancer, Advanced or Metastatic Protecting Your Skin From the Sun Radiation therapy for bladder cancer Radiation Therapy for Cancer Pain Radiation Therapy for Endometrial Cancer Radiation Therapy for Lymphoma and Leukemia Radiation Therapy for Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer Radiation Therapy for Prostate Cancer Radiation Treatment for Cancer Radical Prostatectomy Radioactive Iodine Reducing Cancer Risk When You Are BRCA-Positive Retroperitoneal Lymph Node Dissection Side Effects of Chemotherapy Skin Cancer Screening Skin Cancer, Melanoma Skin Cancer, Nonmelanoma Skin Changes Solitary Pulmonary Nodule Stages of Colorectal Cancer Stem Cell Donation Stress Management When You Have Cancer Sunburn and Skin Cancer Surgical Excision of Melanoma Swollen Lymph Nodes Testicular Cancer Testicular Cancer Screening Thyroid Cancer Thyroid Surgery Tissue Flap Surgery for Breast Reconstruction Transurethral Resection (TUR) for Bladder Cancer Treating Nausea and Vomiting From Chemotherapy Types of Thyroid Cancer Ultrasound Needle Guidance for Biopsy or Injection Undescended Testicle: Risk for Testicular Cancer Urinary Problems and Prostate Cancer Virtual Colonoscopy Watchful Waiting (Surveillance) for Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma Whipple Surgery for Pancreatic Cancer Writing an Advance Directive

Medical Tests
Alpha-Fetoprotein (AFP) in Blood Bone Biopsy Bone Marrow Aspiration and Biopsy Bone Scan Breast Biopsy Breast Cancer (BRCA) Gene Test Cancer Antigen 125 (CA-125) Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA) Clinical Breast Examination Colonoscopy Colposcopy and Cervical Biopsy Digital Rectal Examination (DRE) Endometrial Biopsy Gallium Scan Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) Laparoscopy Lymph Node Biopsy Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of the Breast Mammogram Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Prostate Biopsy Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy Sigmoidoscopy (Anoscopy, Proctoscopy) Skin Biopsy Stool Tests for Colorectal Cancer Testicular Examination and Testicular Self-Examination (TSE) Testicular Ultrasound Thyroid Biopsy Thyroid Scan

Medications
Alkylating Agents for Chemotherapy Antiandrogens for Prostate Cancer Anticonvulsants for Cancer Pain Antidepressants for Cancer Pain Antimetabolites for Chemotherapy Antitumor Antibiotics for Chemotherapy Aprepitant Aromatase Inhibitors for Breast Cancer Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) for Bladder Cancer Bisphosphonates for Metastatic Cancer Bleomycin Calcitonin for Cancer Pain Capecitabine Carboplatin Cetuximab Cisplatin Corticosteroids (Glucocorticoids) for Cancer Cyclophosphamide Docetaxel Doxorubicin Epirubicin Erlotinib Fentanyl Fludarabine Fluorouracil Fluorouracil (5-FU) for Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer Fulvestrant Gemcitabine Hematopoietic Stimulants Ifosfamide Imiquimod Interferon Alfa Irinotecan Leucovorin LH-RH Agonists/GnRH Agonists for Prostate Cancer Megestrol Methotrexate Methotrexate for Trophoblastic Cancer Metoclopramide Mitomycin Mitotic Inhibitors for Chemotherapy Monoclonal Antibodies for Cancer Opiate Pain Relievers for Cancer Pain Oxaliplatin Pemetrexed Procarbazine Progestin Hormone Therapy for Endometrial Cancer Radiation Therapy With Monoclonal Antibodies Raloxifene Rituximab Serotonin Antagonists (5-HT3 Receptor Antagonists) Tamoxifen Topoisomerase Inhibitors for Chemotherapy Topotecan Trastuzumab (Herceptin) Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors (TKIs) for Cancer Vincristine Vinorelbine

Make a Wise Decision
Breast Cancer Risk: Should I Have a BRCA Gene Test? Breast Cancer Screening: When Should I Start Having Mammograms? Breast Cancer: Should I Have Breast Reconstruction After a Mastectomy? Breast Cancer: Should I Have Breast-Conserving Surgery or a Mastectomy for Early-Stage Cancer? Breast Cancer: Should I Have Chemotherapy for Early-Stage Breast Cancer? Breast Cancer: What Should I Do if I'm at High Risk? Colon Cancer: Which Screening Test Should I Have? HPV: Should My Child Get the Vaccine? Ovarian Cancer: Should I Have My Ovaries Removed to Prevent Ovarian Cancer? Prostate Cancer Screening: Should I Have a PSA Test? Prostate Cancer: Should I Choose Active Surveillance? Prostate Cancer: Should I Have Radiation or Surgery for Localized Prostate Cancer? Quitting Smoking: Should I Use Medicine? Testicular Cancer: Which Treatment Should I Have for Stage I Nonseminoma Testicular Cancer After My Surgery? Testicular Cancer: Which Treatment Should I Have for Stage I Seminoma Testicular Cancer After My Surgery?

Take Action
Cancer: Controlling Cancer Pain Cancer: Controlling Nausea and Vomiting From Chemotherapy Lymphedema: Managing Lymphedema Skin Cancer: Protecting Your Skin

Credits

By:

Healthwise Staff

Last Revised: November 3, 2011

Medical Review:

Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine

This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.