Types of cancer
Find out more about the different types of cancer that are more common in young people, including symptoms, diagnosis and treatment.
- Cancer in young people is rare, but its always good to get anything you’re worried about checked out
- We’ve covered the basics for the most common cancers in teenagers and young adults
- You should always get specific advice from a health professional if you’re worried.
What type of cancer do I have?
There are more than 200 types of cancer, all caused by cells in your body not behaving as they should. Cancer in young people is rare, but if anything seems unusual, it’s always best to check. Find out more about the five most common cancer warning signs in young people.
In this section we explain the basics about the most common cancers diagnosed in teenagers and young adults.
For each type of cancer, you can find out about warning signs, tests used to make a diagnosis and available treatments.
If you want more information, remember you can always speak to your doctors and nurses. They’ll answer all of your questions – and if you’re confused by what they say, just let them know. It’s really important to get answers that make sense to you.

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The Patient Information Forum is the UK membership organisation and network for people working in health information and support. The PIF TICK is the UK-wide Quality Mark for Health Information.