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
- Bone cancer
- Brain tumours
- Cervical cancer
- Hodgkin lymphoma
- Non-Hodgkin lymphoma
- Leukaemia
- Ovarian cancer
- Skin cancer
- Soft tissue sarcoma
- Testicular cancer
- Thyroid cancer
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.
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.
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