Cancer conditions we treat

Cancerous cells in the blood prevent your blood from carrying out its normal functions, such as fighting infection, delivering oxygen around your body, and clotting to stop bleeding. Blood cancers can also spread to other parts of the body, including the lymph glands, liver, kidneys, and spleen.

The main types of blood cancer

There are three main types of blood cancer that affect the blood, lymph nodes or bone marrow (the spongy tissue in bones where blood cells are made).

• Leukaemia
• Lymphoma
• Myeloma

Bone cancers occur when normal bone cells develop changes and start to grow uncontrollably, creating a tumour. They’re also sometimes called bone sarcomas – bones are made up of connective tissue and sarcomas are the cancers that start in any connective tissue in the body.

Brain cancers are divided into two groups:¹,²

• primary brain tumours, which start in the brain and almost never spread to other parts of the body
• secondary tumours (or metastases), which are caused by cancers that began in another part of the body and have spread to the brain.

There are more than 40 major types of brain tumours, which are grouped into two main types:¹,²

• benign – slow-growing and unlikely to spread. Common types are meningiomas, neuromas, pituitary tumours and craniopharyngiomas.
• malignant – cancerous and able to spread into other parts of the brain or spinal cord. Common types include astrocytomas, oligodendrogliomas, glioblastomas and mixed gliomas.

It is estimated that 1,896 new cases of brain cancer will be diagnosed in Australia in 2021.¹

What are spinal cord tumours?

The spinal cord has bundles of very long nerve fibres. They carry signals that control muscles, sensation or feeling, and bladder and bowel control.

Breast cancer occurs when normal breast cells acquire mutations leading to uncontrolled growth, creating a tumour. It frequently starts in the cells that line the milk ducts (ductal cancer), but can also arise in breast lobules (lobular cancer).

DCIS

Click below for more information about tests available for women with DCIS.

Gastrointestinal (GI) cancer is the name for cancers affecting the digestive system (or GI tract). There are a range of types of gastrointestinal cancers which we treat at GenesisCare.

Bile duct cancer

Bile ducts are part of the digestive system and are the tubes that link the liver and gallbladder to the small bowel. They transport bile, which helps break down the fat in our food.

Bile duct cancer (also called cholangiocarcinoma) develops in part of the bile duct lining. Abnormal cells start to multiply. They can spread into other areas including the gallbladder or pancreas.

Colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer, can affect any part of the colon or rectum; it may also be referred to as colon cancer or rectal cancer, depending on where the cancer is located. Colon cancer and rectal cancer are often grouped together because they have many features in common. The colon and rectum are parts of the large intestine.

Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in both men and women in Australia and is more common in people over the age of 50.

It was estimated that 15,540 cases of colorectal cancer will be diagnosed in Australia in 2021.

The chance of surviving colorectal cancer for at least five years, is 70%.

Gallbladder cancer

Gallbladder cancer is cancer of the biliary tract, part of the digestive system. It is one of the rarer types of cancer.

• The gallbladder stores bile made in the liver before it’s passed into the small bowel. The bile helps food digestion. It passes through a tube called the common bile duct which connects the gallbladder and liver to the small intestine.
• Gallbladder cancer happens when tissues in the lining of the gallbladder become abnormal and multiply. The most common type is adenocarcinoma – starting in glandular cells in the gallbladder lining.
• Unfortunately, by the time most people are diagnosed with gallbladder cancer, the tumour is often too large to remove surgically or has spread to other areas of the body. This makes it very difficult to treat.

Large bowel cancer

The bowel is made up of two main parts – the small bowel and the large bowel. Both are part of the digestive system. The colon, rectum and anus make up the large bowel.

Liver cancer

The liver is the largest internal organ of the human body, weighing around 1.5kg in the average adult. It is positioned on the upper right side of the abdomen, just below the rib cage.

Oesophageal cancer

The oesophagus is the food pipe that carries food from your mouth to your stomach. It has three main sections – upper, middle and lower. Oesophageal cancer can develop anywhere along the length of the oesophagus. Along with squamous cell carcinoma, a type of skin cancer, oesophageal cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in advanced countries.

Pancreatic cancer

The pancreas is a thin, lumpy gland that lies between the stomach and spine. It’s about 13 cm long and is joined by the pancreatic duct to the first part of the small bowel.

Stomach cancer

Most stomach cancers develop in the cells in the inner lining of the stomach. Stomach cancers can also be called ‘adenocarcinoma of the stomach’ or ‘gastric cancer’. This type of cancer develops quite slowly, and it can take years before any symptoms are noticed.

Small bowel cancer

Small bowel cancer (also called small intestine cancer) is an uncommon type of cancer that occurs when cells in the small intestines become abnormal and keep growing and form a mass or lump called a tumour.

Types of genitourinary cancers

There are many different type of genitourinary cancers which effect both men and women.

• Bladder cancer
• Kidney cancer
• Penile cancer
• Testicular cancer
• Urethral cancer
• Ureter cancer

Gynaecological cancers affect a woman’s reproductive system. They can happen to women of all ages but are most common if you’re over 50. In most cases, the type of gynaecological cancer is named after the part of the body where the cancer first develops.

Types of gynaecological cancer

• Ovarian cancer
• Endometrial cancer
• Cervical cancer
• Vaginal cancer
• Cancer of the vulva
• Other gynaecological cancers

Head and neck cancers usually begin in the squamous cells that line the moist, mucosal surfaces inside the head and neck areas. For example, inside the mouth, in the nose and in the throat.

Cancers that begin in the salivary glands or thyroid are much less common. Head and neck cancers are named after the area they start in.

Types of head and neck cancer

• Mouth (oral) cancer
• Throat (pharynx) cancer
• Voice box (larynx) cancer
• Nose cancer and cancer near the nose (paranasal)
• Salivary gland cancer

The lungs are the main organs for breathing and are part of the respiratory system that includes the nose, mouth, windpipe and airways (large airways, bronchi; smaller airways, bronchioles) to each lung. Lung cancer is a cancerous tumour in the tissue of one or both of the lungs.

• Primary lung cancer starts in the lungs.
• Secondary or metastatic lung cancer can start somewhere else in the body and spread to the lungs.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men. In Australia, the risk of getting prostate cancer by the age of 75 is 1 in 7 men. By the age of 85, this increases to 1 in 5.¹ Early diagnosis and treatment can mean a positive outcome for many.

Skin cancer happens when skin cells change into abnormal cells and grow at an uncontrolled rate.

There are two main types of skin cancer: melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer and the number of cases for both is increasing worldwide.

Type of skin cancer

• Melanoma – Melanoma is a type of skin cancer in the cells that produce pigment – called melanocytes. Melanoma is linked to sun exposure. But it can also affect areas of the body that aren’t often exposed to sun. In very rare cases, it affects the skin lining the nose, mouth and genitals.
• Non-melanoma skin cancers – Non-melanoma skin cancers develop among cells in the upper layers of the skin. The two most common types of non-melanoma skin cancer are squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and basal cell carcinoma (BCC).