Cancer versus Carcinoma

pjdreams
pjdreams Member Posts: 77
edited March 2014 in Ovarian Cancer #1
Ok ladies...dumb question time.

Is there a difference between "cancer" and "carcinoma" ? My pathology report states "Stage 1A Grade 2 Clear Cell Carcinoma".

I realize Stage 1A is what we all hope for and it's not a question about that.....I just always wondered if there's some significance to "carcinoma" versus "cancer".

Comments

  • Cindy Bear
    Cindy Bear Member Posts: 569
    #2
    no dumb questions
    Well, as my 8th grade teacher once said (many moons ago) the only dumb question is the unasked question. From what I understand Carcinoma is a form of cancer. The most common one I believe. There are carcinomas, sarcomas, lymphomas, leukemia etc. I think that the type is determined by where the cancer is. i.e. sarcoma in connective tissue, muscle vs. carcinoma in organ but I am not sure about that point.
  • nancy591
    nancy591 Member Posts: 1,027 Member
    #3
    latin
    carcinoma literally means a new growth or malignant (cancerous) tumor that occurs in epithelial (cells that line body cavities) tissue.


    'oma' means tumor but it doesn't necessarily mean cancerous tumor. The word before the oma usually tells the location. Lymphoma - a malignant tumor of the lymphoid tissue.
  • Tina Brown
    Tina Brown Member Posts: 1,036 Member
    #4
    nancy591 said:

    latin
    carcinoma literally means a new growth or malignant (cancerous) tumor that occurs in epithelial (cells that line body cavities) tissue.


    'oma' means tumor but it doesn't necessarily mean cancerous tumor. The word before the oma usually tells the location. Lymphoma - a malignant tumor of the lymphoid tissue.

    Oh that is interesting. My
    Oh that is interesting. My onc said I had Primary Peritoneal Carcinoma and I just thought it was either a posh word for cancer or medical jargon.

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