Patient Information Sheets

These patient information sheets were prepared in collaboration with the College of American Pathologists. Each represents a downloadable link to a PDF file that describes the disease and how your pathologist made that diagnosis.

Sites: Bladder, Breast, Colon, Head and Neck, Lung, Blood, Ovary, Prostate, and Skin.

You can download them as a zip file here or select individual articles, below.

Bladder

Adenocarcinoma

About 2 percent of bladder cancers are adenocarcinomas, which are nearly all invasive. Urinary Bladder Adenocarcinoma begins in the cells of glandular structures lining body organs and spreads to the bladder. After treatment, patients must be monitored carefully because the chance of bladder cancer coming back is high-- 70 to 100 percent.

Urothelial Carcinoma

Urinary bladder urothelial cell carcinoma starts in the cells lining the bladder and, if not treated successfully at an early stage, can spread to nearby organs or other parts of the body. In industrial countries, this type of cancer accounts for 90 percent of bladder cancers. Early-stage bladder cancer can be treated effectively but patients must be monitored carefully after treatment because the chance of bladder cancer returning is high–- 50 to 80 percent.

Breast

Ductal Carcinoma in Situ

Ductal Carcinoma In Situ is the earliest possible and most treatable diagnosis of breast cancer. Some experts consider it to be “pre-malignant.” The most common form of non-invasive breast cancer, DCIS accounts for about 25 percent of all breast cancers. Sometimes, DCIS is seen in association with an invasive form of breast cancer.

Invasive Ductal Carcinoma

Invasive ductal carcinoma is the most common invasive breast cancer, It is also known as IDC, infiltrating ductal carcinoma, or carcinoma of no special type (NST) or not otherwise specified (NOS). IDC represents 65 to 85 percent of all cases. IDC starts in the breast’s milk ducts and invades surrounding breast tissue. If not treated at an early stage, IDC can move into other parts of the body through your blood stream or lymphatic system.

Lobular Carcinoma In Situ

Lobular carcinoma in situ, also known as lobular neoplasia, is not technically a cancer or a carcinoma. The alternate name for this condition-–lobular neoplasia-–is more technically accurate, since LCIS is only a “marker” of cancer in most women. In women who develop invasive lobular carcinoma, LCIS is a direct precursor. An LCIS diagnosis means there is abnormal cell growth that increases your chances for developing breast cancer later in life. While having LCIS increases the chances of someday having breast cancer, most women with LCIS do not develop breast cancer. Due to improvements in breast cancer screening, the diagnosis of LCIS is increasing.

Invasive Lobular Carcinoma

Invasive lobular carcinoma, also known as infiltrating lobular carcinoma, is a type of breast cancer that starts in a lobule and spreads to surrounding breast tissue. If not treated at an early stage, ILC also can move into other parts of the body, such as the uterus or ovaries. ILC is the second most common type of invasive breast cancer, accounting for 10 to 15 percent of all breast cancer cases.

Colon

Polyps

Polyps begin in the cells of glandular structures lining the colon. Most polyps are benign, but one kind is the cause of greater concern – the adenomatous polyp (adenoma). This growth is associated with DNA changes in the lining of the colon. Up to 10 percent of these polyps can become cancerous within a 10-year period if undetected or ignored. For individuals with multiple polyps, the chance of at least one of these polyps becoming cancerous is very high. However, if malignant polyps are detected early, 90 percent of patients survive at least five years.

Adenocarcinoma

Colon Adenocarcinoma is the most common type of gastrointestinal cancer, with about 150,000 cases each year in the United States. This type of cancer begins in the cells of glandular structures in the inner layer of the colon and spreads first into the wall of the colon and potentially into the lymphatic system and other organs. Colon Adenocarcinoma can be treated, with 50 percent of patients surviving for at least five years. Early-stage colon cancers have survival rates of 70 to 90 percent.

Head and Neck

Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Larynx

Squamous cell carcinoma represents more than 90 percent of all head and neck cancers. In the United States, squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck comprises about 4 percent of all malignancies. This type of cancer is formed from reserve cells which replace injured or damaged cells lining the larynx. Five-year survival rates average about 60 percent. If the tumor is treated at an early stage before it has grown or spread significantly, survival rates are better–as high as 80 percent.

Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Lip and Oral Cavity

Squamous cell carcinoma of the lip and mouth has similar findings to carcinoma of the larynx. The cancer arises from reserve cells of the squamous epithelium.

Blood (Hematopoietic) & Bone Marrow

ALL: Acute lymphoblastic leukemia

This type of cancer begins in the blood and bone marrow or mediastinum. The abnormal cells interfere with the production of normal white cells that protect from infection and prevent bleeding. Nearly 4,000 cases of ALL occur each year in the United States. Most children who are treated are cured. While adults have a lower cure rate, they too can be successfully treated.

AML: Acute Myeloid Leukemia

The most common type of acute leukemia in adults, AML is a cancer of the blood and bone marrow. This type of cancer starts in the bone marrow, moves rapidly into the blood, and can spread further into the lymph nodes, liver, spleen and central nervous system. This cancer must be treated quickly. Close to 12,000 new cases of AML are diagnosed each year. With proper treatment, AML can be kept in remission for a long time or cured in some adults. The five-year survival rate for adults under age 65 is 33 percent and continually improves as treatments are refined

Multiple Myeloma

Multiple myeloma is a blood cancer of the plasma cell. While this cancer cannot be cured, it can be treated. Multiple myeloma patients are now living longer, healthier lives. Each year about 16,000 individuals receive a diagnosis of multiple myeloma, which is the second most prevalent blood cancer after non- Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Lung

Adenocarcinoma

Lung Adenocarcinoma is the most common kind of lung cancer, both in smokers and nonsmokers and in people under age 45. Adenocarcinoma accounts for about 30 percent of primary lung tumors in male smokers and 40 percent in female smokers. Among non-smokers, these percentages approach 60 percent in males and 80 percent in females. This disease also is more common among Asian populations.

Small Cell Carcinoma

Small Cell Carcinoma has, in the past, been called oat cell cancer because the cells resemble oats when seen under a microscope. A fast-growing type of lung cancer, small cell carcinoma usually spreads faster than non-small cell lung cancer. There are three different types of small cell lung cancer: small cell carcinoma, which is the most common; mixed small cell/large cell carcinoma and combined small cell carcinoma.

Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Squamous Cell Lung Carcinoma is a type of non-small cell lung cancer formed from reserve cells – round cells that replaced injured or damaged cells in the lining of the bronchi, the lung’s major airways. Squamous cell tumors usually occur in the lung’s central portions or in one of the main airway branches. These tumors can form cavities in the lung if they grow to a large size.

Ovary

Endometrioid Adenocarcinoma

Ovarian endometrioid carcinoma is the second most common type of ovarian malignancy. It makes up about 2 to 4 percent of all ovarian tumors and represents 10 to 20 percent of all ovarian carcinomas. In some cases, endometrioid carcinomas of the ovary appear synchronously with an endometrial carcinoma (epithelial cancer of the uterus) and/or endometriosis (presence of endometrial tissue outside the uterus).

Serous Carcinoma

Serous carcinoma is a type of epithelial ovarian cancer, which is the most common kind of ovarian cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, ovarian cancer accounts for 6 percent of all cancers among women. The five year survival rate for women with advanced ovarian cancer is 15 to 20 percent. If the disease is found at an early stage, survival approaches 90 percent.

Prostate

Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy

As a man ages, his prostate gland commonly becomes enlarged. This condition is known as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). While it rarely affects men under age 40, BPH affects more than half of men in their 60s and 90 percent in their 70s and 80s. BPH is the cause of more than 4.5 million visits to physicians.

Adenocarcinoma of the Prostate

Prostate adenocarcinoma accounts for 95 percent of all prostate cancers. It starts in the prostate gland and, if not treated successfully at an early stage, can spread to other parts of the body. Other than skin cancer, prostate adenocarcinoma is the most common cancer in American men, with 217,730 cases diagnosed each year, according to the American Cancer Society.

Skin

Basal Cell Carcinoma

The most common of all cancers, Basal Cell Carcinoma affects 800,000 Americans each year. One of three cancers in America is a skin cancer, and 75 percent of skin cancers are Basal Cell Carcinoma. This type of cancer has a 95 percent cure rate but can cause complications or even death if it is neglected.

Squamous Cell Carcinoma

The second most common skin cancer, squamous cell skin carcinoma affects 250,000 Americans each year. This type of cancer begins and usually is confined to the epidermis for some time. This type of cancer has a high cure rate but can cause disfiguring, complications, or even death if it is neglected and allowed to spread.

Melanoma

Melanoma is a type of cancer occurring in cells that color the skin called melanocytes. Located in the lower part of the epidermis, these cells produce melanin. When the skin is exposed to the sun, melanocytes produce more pigment, causing the skin to darken, or tan. The most aggressive form of skin cancer, Melanoma can occur anywhere on the body. If detected and treated early, it is curable in most instances. Once it advances, however, it can be difficult to treat. Melanoma cases have increased over the past 10 years more rapidly than that of any other cancer, with more than 50,000 cases reported each year.