FITNESS

Cancer, also called malignancy, is an abnormal growth of cells. 

The primary cancer site is the part of the body where the cancer first develops. Even if the cancer spreads to other parts of the body, it is always described in terms of the primary site. For example, if pancreatic cancer spreads to the liver, it is still referred to as pancreatic cancer; specifically pancreatic cancer metastatic to the liver. According to the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) training module, knowing the primary site is critical in diagnosis and treatment because it may help determine how the tumor will behave. The most common primary cancer sites are the skin, lungs, breasts, prostate, and colon.