Source: Cancer Resource Room

What is Cancer of Unknown Primary (CUP)?
Sometimes a cancer shows up somewhere in the body, but it did not start there. So where did the cancer come from? The pathologist, with the aid of a microscope, can tell by the "look" of the cells where they came from. So if cancer spreads from the breast to the liver, the cancer cells taken from the liver still look like breast cancer cells because that is where they spread from. If a person has cancer that spread from one organ to another (metastatic disease), but the doctors do not know what organ the cancer started in, this is called Cancer of Unknown Primary (CUP). Some tests can be done to help find the original source of the cancer, but even if the organ cannot be identified, the cancer will be treated based upon what the cells look like.

Support & Education Programs

We know that being diagnosed with cancer can be stressful for you and your family. We offer a variety of cancer support services to help patients and families gain the support and information they will need to meet the challenges ahead.

To find information on the support and education workshops plus wellness services, please view the HOPES calendar.

Read the most recent SUPPORT publication, a resource written by patients and families for patients and families >>>