CT scan showing liver metastases

Patient-first, clinician-readable cancer reference

The 20 most common cancers, from symptoms to staging and treatment order.

This site explains how common cancers are usually detected, biopsied, genetically tested, staged, and treated. It separates inherited cancer risk from tumor genetics and links to trials, registries, authoritative guidance, review literature, oncologists, immunotherapy information, and nearby cancer centers.

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How this site is organized

Biopsy, staging, biomarkers, then treatment sequencing.

Patient path

Symptoms or screening usually lead to imaging, endoscopy or blood tests, then biopsy whenever safely possible before definitive cancer treatment.

Medical path

Pathology, stage, performance status, organ function, inherited risk and tumor biomarkers determine whether surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, endocrine therapy, targeted therapy or immunotherapy comes first.

Genetics separated clearly

Inherited risk means a germline variant a person was born with. Tumor genetics means acquired changes in the cancer that can guide drug selection.

Living information

Clinical trials, approvals and funding change. Use this as a structured discussion aid, not a replacement for an oncologist who can review the biopsy, scans and local options.

Survival and prognosis

Stage-based survival is a population guide, not a personal prediction.

What the numbers mean

Survival summaries on this site use the same style as registry reporting: localized, regional and distant stage where available, or disease-specific risk systems for blood cancers and brain tumors. They describe groups of people treated in recent eras, not the life expectancy of one patient.

Why today can differ from older data

Many registry survival tables lag behind the newest approvals. Over the last 20 years, screening, safer surgery, conformal radiotherapy, molecular pathology, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, CAR T-cell therapy and maintenance treatments have changed outcomes for several cancers.

Quick tools

Search, filter and jump to the cancer you need.

The 20 cancers

Common cancers, key genetics, detection and standard treatment order.

Genetics and biomarkers

Inherited risk is not the same as tumor genetics.

Inherited / germline genetics

Inherited cancer-risk variants can affect screening, preventive surgery, family testing and sometimes drug choices. Examples include BRCA1/2, Lynch syndrome genes, APC, RET, VHL, TP53, CDKN2A, PTEN and PALB2. Genetic counseling is important because a result can affect relatives.

Tumor genetics / biomarkers

Tumor testing looks at the cancer itself. It may find EGFR, ALK, BRAF, HER2, KRAS, IDH, NTRK, RET, MSI-H/MMR deficiency, PD-L1, HRD, FGFR or other markers that change treatment. This is different from inherited testing and often needs biopsy tissue or a validated blood-based liquid biopsy.

Cancer centers worldwide

Find nearby cancer centers using Google Maps.

This uses your browser location only when you press the button. If geolocation is blocked, use the city/country box.

Open Google Maps search
NCI-designated cancer centers UICC member organizations ESMO designated centers Google Maps: comprehensive cancer center

Translate

Translate this cancer reference site.

TheCancers.com

Choose a language to open this site through Google Translate. Automated translation is useful for orientation, but clinical decisions still need an oncologist and a qualified interpreter where needed.

Authoritative links

Registries, trials, guidelines and linked sites.

SEER common cancer sites SEER cancer of any site WHO/IARC Global Cancer Observatory US Cancer Statistics / CDC International Association of Cancer Registries European Cancer Information System Cancer.gov cancer types NCI biomarker testing NCI screening overview ClinicalTrials.gov NCI clinical trials ESMO guidelines NCCN patient guidelines TheOncologists.com ImmunotherapyForCancers.com Anonamed.com