Most common types of cancer

Find out more about the most common types of cancer in young people (13-24 years old), including symptoms, diagnosis and treatment.

What are the signs of cancer?

The five most common signs of cancer in 13-24 year olds are:  

  • Lumps, bumps and swellings 
  • Unexplained tiredness 
  • Mole changes 
  • Persistent pain 
  • Significant weight change 

Having any of these symptoms doesn’t mean you definitely have cancer but if you’re worried you should speak to your GP. 

Find out more about signs and symptoms here.  

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, you should speak to your GP. 

In this section we explain the basics about the most common cancers diagnosed in teenagers and young adults. While these are the types of cancer most commonly diagnosed in people between 13-24 years old, young people can also get other types of cancer. 

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.

This page was reviewed in 2024. It will reviewed again in 2027.

Most common types of cancer

Patient Information Forum - Trusted Information Creator

PIF TICK accredited information

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.

Find out more