If you have just received a diagnosis—or you are helping someone you love—you do not need to make sense of everything at once. Start with a plain-language guide to the diagnosis, staging, treatment decisions, supportive care, and questions worth taking to the next appointment.
Choose the diagnosis you know. You do not need to know its medical category.
These plain-language groups help narrow the complete A–Z list.
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a fast-growing cancer of blood and bone marrow in which abnormal lymphoid precursor cells accumulate. It occurs in children and adults and can involve B-cell or T-cell lineages. Possible…
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a rapidly progressing cancer in which abnormal myeloid precursor cells accumulate in blood and bone marrow. It is most common in older adults but can occur at any age.…
Bladder cancer begins in the urinary bladder, most often in urothelial cells lining its inner surface. Tumors are broadly grouped as non-muscle-invasive or muscle-invasive because depth strongly affects treatment. Blood in urine is the…
Primary bone cancer begins in bone and is different from cancer that spreads to bone from another organ. Major types include osteosarcoma, chondrosarcoma, Ewing sarcoma, and chordoma, each with distinct age patterns and treatment.…
Brain and central nervous system tumors arise in the brain, spinal cord, or related tissues and may be benign or malignant. Their effects depend heavily on location, growth rate, and pressure on critical structures.…
Breast cancer begins when cells in breast tissue grow out of control. Most cases arise in ducts or lobules, and disease may be noninvasive or invasive. It can occur in women and men, though…
Cervical cancer forms in the cervix, most often after a persistent infection with a high-risk human papillomavirus causes precancerous cell changes. Screening and treatment of precancer can prevent many cases, and HPV vaccination lowers…
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a usually slow-growing cancer of mature-appearing lymphocytes, most often B cells, found in blood, bone marrow, lymph nodes, and spleen. It mainly affects older adults and is sometimes discovered…
Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a blood and bone marrow cancer driven in most people by the BCR::ABL1 fusion gene, usually carried on the Philadelphia chromosome. It commonly develops in middle-aged or older adults…
Colorectal cancer begins in the colon or rectum, usually after abnormal growths called polyps develop in the lining. Most cancers are adenocarcinomas. Screening can find precancerous polyps or cancer before symptoms appear. Possible signs…
Endometrial cancer begins in the inner lining of the uterus and is the most common uterine cancer. It differs from uterine sarcoma, which starts in muscle or supporting tissue. Abnormal uterine bleeding is the…
Esophageal cancer begins in the tube that carries food from the throat to the stomach. The main types are adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, which differ in typical location and risk factors. Progressive trouble…
These guides provide general educational information. They cannot determine a diagnosis or treatment plan. Discuss symptoms, test results, and treatment decisions with qualified clinicians who know your situation.
Featured placement · demonstration clinics
