Cancer is not one disease. The World Health Organization[1] calls it a generic term for a large group of diseases that can affect any part of the body. That is why the signs differ so much from one type to another.
This article sets out what cancer is, which types are most common in India, what the health services list as early signs, and what raises risk. It cannot tell anyone whether they have cancer, and a section near the end says so plainly.
What Is Cancer, and How Does It Start?
The National Cancer Institute[2] describes cancer as a disease in which some of the body’s cells grow uncontrollably and spread to other parts of the body. Normal cells grow when signalled to and stop when told to stop.
Cancer cells do neither. The same source records that they grow without the signals telling them to, ignore signals to stop dividing, and evade the immune system.
Not every growth is cancer. A benign tumour does not invade nearby tissue and usually does not return once removed. A malignant tumour invades nearby tissue and can spread.
That spread has a name. Metastasis is the process in which cancer cells break away from where they first formed and build new tumours elsewhere. The new tumour keeps the name of the original type.
What Are the Main Types of Cancer?
Types are grouped by the cell the cancer starts in, not by where the lump is found.
| Type | What the sources say |
| Carcinoma | The NCI describes carcinomas as forming in epithelial cells, which cover body surfaces. They are the most common group. |
| Sarcoma | The NCI records that sarcomas develop in bone and soft tissues, including muscle, fat and blood vessels. |
| Leukaemia | The NCI describes leukaemia as starting in the blood-forming tissue of the bone marrow, and notes it does not form solid tumours. |
| Lymphoma | The NCI records that lymphoma begins in lymphocytes, the immune cells found in lymph nodes and lymph vessels. |
| Melanoma | The NCI describes melanoma as arising in melanocytes, the cells that make pigment. |
| Brain and spinal cord tumours | The NCI records that these are named by the cell type they start in and by where they sit in the central nervous system. |
Which Cancers Are Most Common in India?
The Indian figures come from the National Cancer Registry Programme[3]. It estimated 14,61,427 new cancer cases for 2022, a crude rate of 100.4 per 100,000, and projected a rise of 12.8% by 2025 against 2020. It reports that one in nine people are likely to develop cancer between birth and age 74.
The leading sites differ by sex. In men they were lung at 10.6%, mouth at 8.4%, prostate at 6.1%, tongue at 5.9% and stomach at 4.8%. In women they were breast at 28.8%, cervix at 10.6%, ovary at 6.2%, and then corpus uteri and lung at 3.7% each.
The six blocks below cover the most common of those. Each gives where the cancer starts and what the health services list as its symptoms. None of them is a test anyone can apply to themselves.
Breast Cancer
The commonest cancer in Indian women. The WHO[4] records 2.4 million women diagnosed worldwide in 2024, and reports that it led in women in 164 of 186 countries that year.
The WHO lists a breast lump or thickening, often without pain, as a sign to act on. It also names a change in the size, shape or appearance of a breast, and dimpling or redness of the skin. Changes to the nipple and abnormal or bloody fluid from it complete the list.
Cervical Cancer
The second commonest in Indian women. The WHO[5] records around 604,000 new cases worldwide in 2024, and states that almost all cases are caused by infection with cancer-causing types of human papillomavirus.
The symptoms it names include unusual bleeding between periods, after the menopause or after sex, and increased or foul-smelling discharge. It also lists persistent pain in the back, legs or pelvis, and swelling in the legs.
Mouth Cancer
Mouth cancer is the second commonest site in Indian men, and tongue cancer sits fourth on the same list. The NHS[6] names a mouth ulcer lasting more than three weeks among its symptoms.
It also lists a red or white patch inside the mouth, a lump inside the mouth or on the lip, and pain inside the mouth. Difficulty swallowing or speaking, a hoarse voice and a lump in the neck complete its list. A dentist can look at any of these.
Lung Cancer
The leading site in Indian men. The NHS[7] names a cough that is not going away, breathlessness, coughing up blood, and chest or shoulder pain among the main symptoms.
Repeated chest infections, weight loss, loss of appetite and lasting tiredness sit on the same list. The NHS asks people to see a GP about a cough lasting longer than three weeks.
Prostate Cancer
Third among Indian men, and the type most likely to be silent at the start. The NHS[8] states that prostate cancer often has no symptoms at first, because it usually develops on the outer edge of the prostate.
Where symptoms do appear they involve passing urine. The NHS names trouble starting, a weak or stop-start flow, urgency, going more often and going at night. A feeling that the bladder has not emptied sits on the same list.
Stomach Cancer
Fifth among Indian men. The NHS[9] lists heartburn or acid reflux, problems swallowing, feeling or being sick, indigestion and burping, and feeling full quickly when eating.
Loss of appetite, weight loss, a lump or pain in the upper stomach, tiredness and darker stools complete its list. The NHS advises seeing a GP where these have not settled after three weeks.
Also Read: What are generic medicines?
What Are the Early Signs and Symptoms of Cancer?
Some signs are not tied to one organ. The NHS[10] names a new lump or swelling anywhere on the body, sweating or fever that will not settle, and unusual tiredness. Unexplained bruising or bleeding, new or lasting pain and weight loss without trying sit alongside them.
It groups the rest by area of the body, covering the skin, digestion, the mouth and throat, the lungs, and the genitals and urinary tract.
The reassurance matters as much as the list. The NHS states directly that most of these symptoms are very common and can be caused by other conditions. Having them does not definitely mean a person has cancer.
Its instruction is simpler than any checklist. Anything that is not normal for you, and is not settling, is worth an appointment.
What Causes Cancer, and What Raises the Risk?
The WHO groups the main behavioural and dietary risks together. It attributes nearly a quarter of cancer deaths to tobacco use, alcohol, high body mass index, low fruit and vegetable intake and lack of physical activity. It adds air pollution for lung cancer.
Infections are a separate and large group. The WHO attributes about 10% of cancers diagnosed in 2022 worldwide to cancer-causing infections. It names hepatitis B and C, human papillomavirus, Helicobacter pylori and Epstein-Barr virus.
Some risks cannot be changed at all. The WHO names increasing age and family history among the risk factors for breast cancer. It also records that about 80% of breast cancers develop in women with no modifiable risk factor beyond being female and over 40.
Can Cancer Be Prevented or Found Early?
Partly, and the WHO puts a figure on it. It estimates that about 38% of cancers can currently be prevented by avoiding risk factors.
Two measures are specific to cervical cancer. The WHO describes HPV vaccination of girls aged 9 to 14 as highly effective against infection and against the cancer itself. It advises screening with a high-performance test every five to ten years from age 30.
Screening and early diagnosis are not the same thing. The WHO separates screening, which tests people without symptoms, from early diagnosis, which depends on recognising symptoms and getting them looked at.
How Is Cancer Treated?
Treatment is chosen after the type and stage are known. The NCI[11] states that the treatments a person receives depend on the type of cancer they have and how advanced it is.
The main options it names are surgery, which removes the cancer, and radiation therapy, which uses high doses of radiation. Chemotherapy is the third, and it kills or stops the growth of fast-growing cells.
Others work differently. The NCI describes immunotherapy as helping the immune system fight cancer, and targeted therapy as acting on the changes that help cancer cells grow and spread. Hormone therapy slows breast and prostate cancers that use hormones to grow.
This article gives no amounts or schedules for any of them. Those are decided by an oncologist after the diagnosis is confirmed.
When Should You See a Doctor?
See a GP if you notice any symptom that is not normal for you, or any change you are worried could be cancer. That is the NHS instruction, and it does not ask you to work out how likely it is first.
| Situation | What to do |
| A symptom that is not normal for you | See a doctor. The NHS asks people not to wait to be sure. |
| A cough lasting more than three weeks | See a doctor. The NHS names this timing for lung cancer symptoms. |
| A mouth ulcer lasting more than three weeks | See a doctor or a dentist. The NHS lists both as able to help. |
| Coughing up blood, or blood on a tissue | Seek urgent advice the same day. The NHS treats this as urgent rather than routine. |
| A new breast lump or thickening | See a doctor. The WHO advises evaluation of any abnormal lump, while noting most are benign. |
| Unusual vaginal bleeding after sex or the menopause | See a doctor. The WHO lists it among cervical cancer symptoms. |
| Severe breathlessness, or chest or upper back pain | Go to A&E or call for emergency help. The NHS names these among its emergency signs. |
What this article cannot tell you
It cannot say whether any symptom is cancer. The NHS is explicit that these symptoms are common and usually have other causes, and only examination and tests separate them.
It cannot rank anyone’s risk. The risk factors above describe populations, and the WHO’s own breast cancer figure shows how many people develop the disease with no modifiable risk factor.
It cannot say what any individual’s treatment would be, or how it would go. That depends on the type and the stage, and belongs with an oncologist rather than a page.
It also cannot describe every cancer. Six types are covered here because they lead the Indian registry figures, and the registry counts many more.
Where Can You Buy Prescribed Medicines on Medkart?
Cancer medicines are prescribed by a specialist and taken under supervision. Medkart sells medicines online and highlights quality credentials for its generic range.
Hormone therapies are among the categories it lists. Products containing anastrozole and letrozole appear, including Anabrez from Sun Pharma, alongside bicalutamide products.
Supportive medicines are listed separately. They include ondansetron products for sickness, such as Emeset from Cipla, and paracetamol products.
Nothing here says any of these treats the condition, which is a judgement for the prescriber. Medkart lists these products and does not test or approve them. Availability and price can change. Medkart’s medicine comparison tools can be used to compare listed options on:
- Active ingredient
- Strength
- Dosage form
- Manufacturer
- Pack size
- Current price
It is also possible to search by name, browse the full medicine list, or find the nearest Medkart store.
Key takeaways
- Cancer is a group of diseases, and the WHO records that it can affect any part of the body.
- Types are grouped by the cell they start in, which gives carcinoma, sarcoma, leukaemia, lymphoma and melanoma.
- The Indian registry estimated 14,61,427 new cancer cases for 2022, with one in nine people affected by age 74.
- Lung and mouth lead in Indian men; breast and cervix lead in Indian women.
- Prostate cancer often has no symptoms at first, which is why symptoms alone are not a screen.
- The NHS states that most cancer symptoms are common and usually caused by something else.
- The WHO estimates that about 38% of cancers could be prevented by avoiding risk factors.
- Treatment depends on the type and the stage, and is decided after diagnosis.
FAQs
Q. Does a lump always mean cancer?
No, and the sources say so directly. The WHO advises that any abnormal breast lump be assessed, while noting that most such lumps are not cancerous. The point of the appointment is to find out which it is, because that cannot be settled by looking or by reading.
Q. Can cancer be inherited?
Family history is one of the named risks. The WHO lists it for breast cancer, along with inherited changes in the BRCA1, BRCA2 and PALB-2 genes. Anyone with a strong family history should raise it with a doctor, because it can change what testing is offered.
Q. Why is mouth cancer so common in India?
The registry places mouth second and tongue fourth among men, and tobacco is the connection the WHO draws. Its fact sheet groups tobacco with alcohol among the leading behavioural risks. No retrieved source gave an India-specific attributable fraction for mouth cancer, so that figure is missing here.
Q. Is there a test that screens for all cancers at once?
Nothing retrieved for this article describes one. The WHO discusses screening as programmes aimed at particular cancers in defined age groups, such as cervical screening from age 30 and mammography between 50 and 69. Each is built around one disease.
Q. Does the vaccine against HPV prevent cancer?
For cervical cancer the WHO is unambiguous. Its fact sheet puts vaccination in the age band before exposure, and names other virus-linked cancers alongside the cervical one. Screening is still advised later in life, so the two work together rather than one replacing the other.
Q. If a cancer spreads, does it become a different cancer?
No, and the naming reflects that. The NCI records that a new tumour formed by cells that broke away is still named after the tissue the cancer started in. A breast cancer found in the bone is described as breast cancer that has spread, not as bone cancer.
References
- https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cancer
- https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/understanding/what-is-cancer
- https://ijmr.org.in/cancer-incidence-estimates-for-2022-projection-for-2025-result-from-national-cancer-registry-programme-india/
- https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/breast-cancer
- https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cervical-cancer
- https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/mouth-cancer/symptoms/
- https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/lung-cancer/symptoms/
- https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/prostate-cancer/symptoms/
- https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stomach-cancer/symptoms/
- https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/cancer/symptoms/
- https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/types
Medical disclaimer: This article gives general information about cancer and is not a diagnosis. It cannot tell any individual whether a symptom is cancer, how likely that is, or which treatment would suit them, because those decisions need a doctor and the right tests. Anyone with a symptom that is new, unexplained or not settling should see a doctor rather than wait, and no medicine should be started, stopped or changed without advice from the prescriber or a qualified pharmacist.
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