Cancer, commonly referred to as malignant tumors, is a systemic disease that manifests throughout the body. It is a rapidly progressing serious illness capable of causing multi-organ failure in a short period, and it can also be considered a chronic disease. These characteristics of cancer determine its treatment methods and approaches, as well as the speed of its progression. Some cancers, when detected early, can allow for long-term survival with treatment, while others, even when identified early and treated promptly, may still result in very short survival times.

The following three types of cancer are among those with the fastest progression rates.

Pancreatic cancer is a challenging gastrointestinal malignancy to diagnose and treat. Its early detection rate is low, while surgical mortality and postoperative recurrence rates are relatively high, earning it the title "king of cancers."

Primary liver cancer often presents with subtle early symptoms. Once symptoms appear, it typically indicates that the tumor has already grown significantly and the disease is progressing rapidly.

Lung cancer, particularly small cell lung cancer, is characterized by high differentiation, rapid progression, and early metastasis, making it difficult to cure through surgery alone.

In addition to the three cancers mentioned above, other rapidly progressing malignancies include brain tumors, lymphoma, leukemia, and esophageal cancer.