Carcinoma: Cancers derived from epithelial cells.
This group includes many of the most common cancers, particularly in
the aged, and include nearly all those developing in
the breast, prostate, lung, pancreas, and colon.
Sarcoma: Cancers arising from connective
tissue (i.e. bone, cartilage, fat, nerve), each of which develop from
cells originating inmesenchymal cells outside the bone marrow.
Lymphoma and Leukemia: These two classes of cancer
arise from hematopoietic (blood-forming) cells that leave the marrow and
tend to mature in the lymph nodes and blood, respectively. Leukemia is
the most common type of cancer in children accounting for about 30%.
Germ cell tumor: Cancers derived
from pluripotent cells, most often presenting in the testicle or
the ovary (seminoma and dysgerminoma, respectively).
Blastoma: Cancers derived from immature “precursor”
cells or embryonic tissue. Blastomas are more common in children than in
older adults.