Are all the different cancers really that different or is it all just cancer and we just specify where it formed?
In: Biology
Different organs can develop different cancers types that look (under the microscope) and behave (aggressiveness, chances to spread to different organs…) differently. This depends on which cell types the organ is made of.
Within the same cancer type are also differences depending on how the tumor looks (does it still resemble the cell type it is derived from? Are the cells very atypical?) and behaves (Is there invasion of vascular structures? Are there metastasis?).
Different organs that are made off the same cells can make the same cancer types. For example: The skin, esophagus, cervix… are all made of the same type of cells named squamous epithelium. They all can form squamous cell carcinoma. Those cancer types look the same under the microscope. The behavior differs depending on in which organ the cancer is formed.
Latest Answers