Cancer

Also called: Carcinoma, Malignancy, Neoplasms, Tumor
Cancer begins in your cells, which are the building blocks of your body. Normally, your body forms new cells as you need them, replacing old cells that die. Sometimes this process goes wrong. New cells grow even when you don't need them, and old cells don't die when they should. These extra cells can form a mass called a tumor. Tumors can be benign or malignant. Benign tumors aren't cancer while malignant ones are. Cells from malignant tumors can invade nearby tissues. They can also break away and spread to other parts of the body.
Most cancers are named for where they start. For example, lung cancer starts in the lung, and breast cancer starts in the breast. The spread of cancer from one part of the body to another is called metastasis. Symptoms and treatment depend on the cancer type and how advanced it is. Treatment plans may include surgery, radiation and/or chemotherapy.
National Cancer Institute
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Cancer: Questions and Answers(National Cancer Institute)
Also available in Spanish
Inside Cancer(Dolan DNA Learning Center)
What You Need to Know about Cancer: An Overview(National Cancer Institute)

Liver Cancer

Also called: Hepatocellular carcinoma
Your liver is the largest organ inside your body. It filters harmful substances from the blood, digests fats from food and stores the sugar that your body uses for energy. Primary liver cancer starts in the liver. Metastatic liver cancer starts somewhere else and spreads to your liver.
Risk factors for primary liver cancer include
Having hepatitis
Having cirrhosis, or scarring of liver
Being male
Low weight at birth
Symptoms can include a lump or pain on the right side of your abdomen and yellowing of the skin. However, you may not have symptoms and the cancer may not be found until it is advanced. This makes it harder to treat. Treatment options include surgery, radiation, chemotherapy or liver transplantation.
National Cancer Institute
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What Is Liver Cancer?(American Cancer Society)
Also available in Spanish
What You Need to Know about Liver Cancer(National Cancer Institute)

Kidney Cancer

Also called: Hypernephroma, Renal adenocarcinoma, Renal cell cancer
You have two kidneys. They are fist-sized organs on either side of your backbone above your waist. The tubes inside filter and clean your blood, taking out waste products and making urine. Kidney cancer forms in the lining of tiny tubes inside your kidneys. It happens most often in people over 40. Risk factors include smoking, having certain genetic conditions and misusing pain medicines for a long time.
Often, kidney cancer doesn't have early symptoms. However, see your health care provider if you notice
Blood in your urine
A lump in your abdomen
Unexplained weight loss
Pain in your side
Loss of appetite
Treatment depends on your age, your overall health and how advanced the cancer is. It might include surgery, radiation, chemotherapy or biologic therapy. Biologic therapy boosts your body's own ability to fight cancer.
National Cancer Institute
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What Is Kidney Cancer (Renal Cell Carcinoma)?(American Cancer Society)
Also available in Spanish
What You Need to Know about Kidney Cancer(National Cancer Institute)

Brain Cancer

Also called: Glioma, Meningioma
There are two main types of brain cancer. Primary brain cancer starts in the brain. Metastatic brain cancer starts somewhere else in the body and moves to the brain. Brain tumors can be benign, with no cancer cells, or malignant, with cancer cells that grow quickly.
Brain tumors can cause many symptoms. Some of the most common are
Headaches, usually worse in the morning
Nausea and vomiting
Changes in your ability to talk, hear or see
Problems with balance or walking
Problems with thinking or memory
Muscle jerking or twitching
Numbness or tingling in arms or legs
No one knows the exact causes of brain tumors. Doctors can seldom explain why one person develops a brain tumor and another does not.
National Cancer Institute
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Brain Cancer(Patient Education Institute)
Also available in Spanish
What You Need to Know about Brain Tumors(National Cancer Institute)

Eye Cancer

Cancer of the eye is uncommon. It can affect the outer parts of the eye, such as the eyelid, which are made up of muscles, skin and nerves. If the cancer starts inside the eyeball it's called intraocular cancer. The most common intraocular cancers in adults are melanoma and lymphoma. The most common eye cancer in children is retinoblastoma, which starts in the cells of the retina. Cancer can also spread to the eye from other parts of the body.
Treatment for eye cancer varies by the type and by how advanced it is. It may include surgery, radiation therapy, freezing or heat therapy, or laser therapy.
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Detailed Guide: Eye Cancer(American Cancer Society)
Intraocular (Eye) Melanoma (PDQ): Treatment(National Cancer Institute)
Also available in Spanish
Retinoblastoma (PDQ): Treatment(National Cancer Institute)
Also available in Spanish