Cancer is caused by uncontrolled growth of cells in an area of our body. It can be due to loss of function of tumor suppressor genes or due to increased function of oncogenes.
There are many cancers and that many causes of cancer.
If localised, it may form a lump or swelling. Usually painless. If it has spread then symptoms due to the affected organ can occur. It is not possible to write about all cancers and all it's symptoms. You can read a book called Devita, Hellman, and Rosenberg's Cancer: Principles and Practice of Oncology if you want all the symptoms and causes. It is considered a bible of oncology (but the treatment is ever changing)
I will enumerate a few causes and symptoms of common cancers in non metastatic settings.
Please note that most cancers donot have any cause and are asymptotic 1) Oral cavity and laryngeal cancers
Symptoms: ulcer, Leukoplakia or erythroplakia rarely pain, neck node swelling, hoarseness of voice
Cause: tobacco, alcohol, smoking, HPV, sharp tooth or ill fitting dentures with chronic trauma
2) Breast Cancer
Symptoms: lump, nipple discharge especially blood stained, armpit swelling, nipple retraction, skin redness or thickening, skin dimpling
Cause: increasing age and female sex are the most important non modifiable risk factors. Others include obesity, increased estrogen exposure due to early menarche, late menopause, no breast feeding, no children, OC pills, HRT, obesity.
Familial due to BRCA genes
3) Colon or rectal cancer:
Symptoms: bleeding per Rectum, alternating constipation or loose motions, lump in abdomen, intestinal obstruction Causes:
Age, low fibre diet, Familial in AFP or HNPCC
4) kidney cancer
Symptoms:
Pain, lumbar swelling, hematuria
Cause:
Smoking, familial
5) urinary bladder cancer
Symptoms:
Hematuria, urinary retention
Causes: smoking
6) lung cancer
Symptoms: cough, hemoptysis, breathing difficulty, hoarseness of voice
Causes: smoking
7) esophageal cancer
Symptoms: difficulty in swallowing food, Causes: smoking, smoked fish
8) stomach cancer
Symptoms: black stools, hematemesis, lump in abdomen, obstruction with vomiting
Causes: smoking, alcohol
9) liver cancer
Symptoms: lump in abdomen
Causes: hepatitis B infection with cirrhosis, toxins
10) gall bladder cancer Symptoms: asymptotic, lump in abdomen, jaundice
Cause: gall stones, cholesterosis
11) prostate cancer Symptoms: urinary retention, hematuria
Cause: age, androgens
12) penile cancer
Symptoms: ulcer
Cause: HPV related
13) ovarian cancer
Symptoms: mass in pelvis
Cause: familial 14) endometrial cancer Symptoms: post menopausal bleeding or inter menstrual bleeding Cause: hormonal
15) cervical cancer
Symptoms: bleeding pv
Cause: HPV related
16) pancreatic cancer
Symptoms: jaundice, lump in abdomen Cause: smoking 17) bone cancers:
Symptoms: swelling, pain, fracture Cause: multifactorial
18) skin cancer
Symptoms: ulcer or black lesion
Cause UV rays
19) brain tumor
Symptoms: neurological deficit, vomiting, visual deficit
Causes: multifactorial
20) blood cancer Symptoms: bleeding, infections Cause: genetic, multifactorial
I may have missed many. Have put down what came to my mind.