Which parts of the body can have cancer?

“Cancer” is the most common cause of death in Thailand. You may have heard some kinds of cancer, like liver cancer, lung cancer, or colon cancer, but there are still several rare cancer that you may not have heard about. Let’s find out which organs or parts of the body can have cancer.

The following cancers are common in men:

• Liver cancer is related to Hepatitis B and C infection; and Liver cirrhosis that is caused by alcohol drinking, and Fatty liver.
• Lung cancer’s risk factors are cigarette smoking, carcinogen exposure, genetic, and environment.  
• Colon cancer is caused by several risk factors such as unhealthy diet, environment, and genetic.
• Prostate cancer is caused by the accumulating mass of abnormal cells.
• Lymph node cancer is caused by abnormal growth of the white blood cells called Lymphocytes. This usually occurs in the throat, armpit, and groin areas.  
• Leukemia is a blood cancer caused by the rapid production of abnormal white blood cells. The high number of white blood cells impairs the ability of the bone marrow to produce healthy blood cells and platelets.
• Bladder cancer’s risk factors are cigarette smoking, carcinogen exposure, bladder infection, and bladder stone.
• Oral cavity cancer is caused by cigarette smoking, alcohol drinking, HPV infection, and oral irritation.
• Stomach cancer’s risk factors are aging, family history of stomach cancer, etc.
• Gastrointestinal cancer is caused by consuming too hot foods, chronic acid reflux (GERD), and cigarette smoking.

The following cancers are common in women:

• Breast cancer’s risk factors are family history of breast cancer, obesity, and alcohol drinking.
• Cervical cancer is caused by HPV infection, and the risk factors for cervical cancer are having sexual intercourse starting from a young age, having several sexual partners, cigarette smoking, or immune deficiency.
• Liver cancer is related to Hepatitis B and C infection; and Liver cirrhosis that is caused by alcohol drinking, and Fatty liver.
• Lung cancer’s risk factors are cigarette smoking, carcinogen exposure, genetic, and environment.  
• Colon cancer is caused by several risk factors, such as unhealthy diet, environment, and genetic.
• Ovarian cancer is caused by genetically related risk factor and other risk factors, such as chemical exposure and unhealthy diet.
• Uterine cancer is caused by hormonal imbalance, and women who are at risk of uterine cancer are those who have never had a child, and overweight women who have diabetes and high blood pressure.
• Leukemia is a blood cancer caused by the rapid production of abnormal white blood cells. The high number of white blood cells impairs the ability of the bone marrow to produce healthy blood cells and platelets.
• Oral cavity cancer is caused by cigarette smoking, alcohol drinking, HPV infection, and oral irritation.
• Thyroid cancer is caused by several risk factors such as aging, radiation and chemical exposure, or family history of thyroid cancer.
• Lymph node cancer  is caused by abnormal growth of the white blood cells called Lymphocytes. This usually occurs in the throat, armpit, and groin areas.  

Besides the above-mentioned cancers, there are several kinds of cancer that rarely occurs, which are as follows:

• Nasopharyngeal cancer is related to Epstein-Barr virus infection.
• Laryngeal cancer’s risk factors are cigarette smoking and alcohol drinking.
• Cholangiocarcinoma is a bile duct cancer that is related to the stone in the gallbladder, liver fluke, and carcinogenic nitrosamine which can be found in food preservation.
• Pancreatic cancer  is found to be only 1% in Thailand. The cause of pancreatic cancer is unknown, but cigarette smoking, diabetes, and genetic might be the risk factors for pancreatic cancer.
• Bone cancer is cancer that rarely occurs. However, the cause of bone cancer is unclear.
• Skin cancer and Melanoma are caused by chronic skin irritation from UV light or arsenic compounded cream or medicine.
• Brain cancer and Brain tumor’s cause is unclear, but it might be related to the abnormal growth of the cells in the brain, like nerve cells, brain tissue and bone marrow cells, glands in the brain, and sheath cells.
• Kidney cancer’s risk factors are genetic and aging.
• Soft tissue sarcoma is caused by genetic, chemical exposure, radiation exposure, chronic swelling in the leg and arm, or some kinds of virus infection, like HHV-8 infection.