There are more than 200 types of cancer. These cancers fall under the main groups below:

1. Carcinomas (85% of cancers)

These cancers develop in the tissue that lines our organs, for example the bowel. Carcinomas are the most common type of cancer. Adenocarcinomas, like breast cancer, develop in the tissue that lines our glands.

2. Leukaemias and lymphomas (7% of cancers)

These cancers start in the tissue from which white blood cells (infection fighting cells) originate.

3. Sarcomas (1% of cancers)

These cancers develop in bone and muscle tissues. They are quite rare.

Other rare cancers, such as brain cancer, make up the remaining 7%.

Most common cancers

Currently breast, lung, prostate and bowel cancers together account for over half of all new cases in Northern Ireland. Breast is the most commonly diagnosed cancer here, closely followed by  lung, bowel and prostate cancer.

Cancer is more likely to develop in parts of the body where there is a higher level of cell division – the more often a cell divides, the more chance there is of a mutation eventually happening. The skin, for instance, is constantly renewing itself explaining why we see larger numbers of skin cancer each year compared to slower regenerating parts of the body.