Top 5 Most Rare Cancers
There are more than 70 types of cancer that is known to man. But there only quite a few that are commonly known, such as breast cancer, lung cancer, colon cancer and blood cancer. These known cancers have a better chance of being diagnosed early and prevented. However, there are very rare cancers that can be a challenge to diagnose and prevent.
Being educated and having awareness about certain types of cancer is the key to prevention. The more we know about the symptoms the more preventive care and treatments we can get to address the issue. But what if the type of cancer is really rare?
There are only a few rare types of cancers and they are usually difficult to diagnose at first because some don’t even show symptoms at an early stage and mostly we find out when it’s already too late. So here is a list of top 5 very rare types of cancer that you need to be aware of:
- Sarcomas
This type of cancer grows on tissues. Sarcoma tumors can be commonly found in tendons, muscles, cartilage, bones, nerves, fat and blood vessels of arms and legs. However, they might also form in some other parts in your bodies. It can strike anywhere.
There are more than 50 known types and cause is still unknown. On a brighter side, the tumors can be removed through surgery.
- Mesothelioma
This rare type of cancer is caused by asbestos exposure. Mesothelioma does not appear for at least 15 years after exposure to asbestos. There are two types of mesothelioma, pleural and peritoneal or abdominal. Pleural mesothelioma happens when asbestos is inhaled and sticks to the pleura tissue of the lungs. Peritoneal mesothelioma happens when asbestos is digested and attaches to the abdominal cavity and organs.
This usually happens to factory workers or anyone who is exposed to asbestos. For more information on this rare type of cancer go to the official mesothelioma cancer website to know more on how you can be entitled to get financial compensation from the company responsible for the exposure.
- Chordoma
This type of cancer affects the bones, particularly the spine. Chances of getting chordoma are one out of a million. It is very rare indeed. It can be found growing out of small cartilage residues while a fetus is in the womb. The cause is unknown and this type of cancer if very difficult to study.
There is very little known about it except that it grows slowly when the small cartilage residues develop incorrectly. It can be aggressive, painful and resistant to chemotherapy and radiation treatment.
Symptoms include headaches, neck pain, double vision, tingling in the arms and legs and loss of intestinal or bladder function. Surgery is the only treatment, but can be quite challenging because there is no guarantee that it can be removed entirely and has high possibility of relapse.
- Mesenchymal Chondrosarcoma
This type of rare cancer can be found in the cartilage tissues. It is aggressive and can penetrate other organs. It originates from fat and muscle tissues and bones of the ribs, jaw and spine. It can appear in any part of the body, which makes symptoms difficult to detect and monitor.
If mesenchymal chondrosarcoma appears near the spine, it may cause severe paralysis or loss of sensation. It can be best treated with chemotherapy and surgery.
- Foot cancer
It sounds a little ridiculous but yes, it is possible to get cancer in your foot. It’s the last place that we are all bound to look at when we are looking for tumors or lumps in our body. It often goes unnoticed, which makes it even more dangerous.
Symptoms include lumps, strange sensations and even clumsiness. It is often diagnosed as cancer of the nerves, bone cancer, skin cancer and vascular cancer. Skin cancer is the most common that can be diagnosed on a foot. This would really make you consider putting on sunscreen when wearing flip flops or sandals now that you know that even your foot can get cancer.
These cancers are rare but with awareness they can be avoided. The same with other common types of cancers.
