Cancer of unknown primary (CUP)

Cancer of unknown primary (CUP) affects around 577 people in Ireland each year.* 

Detecting cancer early

Signs and symptoms

Learn about the signs and symptoms of cancer of unknown primary (CUP). You are more likely to survive cancer if you find it at an earlier stage. 

Treatments

Treatments

There are a number of different treatments available for cancer of unknown primary (CUP). Your medical team will explain the best treatment options for you. 

What is cancer of unknown primary (CUP)?

If you are diagnosed with cancer of unknown primary (CUP), it means that your doctor cannot find where your cancer started.

Cancer occurs when normal cells grow and change in an abnormal and uncontrolled way. When groups of these cancer cells continue to grow, they can form a lump called a (primary) tumour. Tumours can spread to other parts of your body through your blood or lymphatic system.

If the primary tumour spreads to other parts of the body and forms a new tumour, this is known as secondary cancer or metastasis. CUP means that your doctors have found a secondary cancer but they cannot find the primary cancer. In other words, they have found where your cancer has spread to, but they cannot find the place in your body where the cancer began.

Why can the primary cancer not be found?

There are a number of reasons why a primary cancer may not be found. These include:

  • It may be too small to be seen on scans.
  • It may be hidden by a larger secondary cancer.
  • The body’s immune system may have already got rid of the primary cancer, but not the secondary cancer.

How can doctors tell that it is a secondary cancer?

During your diagnosis, a small amount of tissue would have been taken from your body and examined under a microscope to find out if cancer cells were present. This is a biopsy. 

During a biopsy, a specialist known as a pathologist can tell if the sampled tissue does not belong to the surrounding tissue. This can then be confirmed by further tests. 

What increases my risk of cancer of unknown primary (CUP)?

If you have cancer of unknown primary (CUP), this means that your cancer has already spread, but doctors don't know where it started. This makes it very hard for doctors to know what the specific risks for CUP are. 

As a result, people should consider general risks for cancer. These include:

CUP is most commonly diagnosed in older people. 

Smoking is the biggest cause of preventable death and disease in Ireland. Studies suggest that smoking can increase the risk of CUP.

You can reduce your chance of getting cancer if you avoid alcohol or only drink a little. 

Some studies suggest that being overweight or obese can increase your risk of CUP. You should try to maintain a healthy weight by eating a balanced diet and exercising regularly.

If a member of your immediate family had CUP, such as a parent or sibling, you may have an increased risk.

Having a risk factor doesn’t mean you will definitely get cancer. Sometimes people with no risk factors get the disease.

Medical content updated from our 'Understanding cancer of unknown primary (CUP)' booklet (2024), reviewed by Dr Dearbhaile Collins, Consultant Medical Oncologist and Una Murphy, Daffodil Centre Nurse.


Continue reading about CUP

Read next CUP signs and symptoms

Publications about CUP

Cancer of unknown primary (CUP)
Cancer of unknown primary (CUP)
Booklet 65 pages 8.74 MB
Information for patients diagnosed with cancer of unknown primary (CUP), including tests, treatments and side-effects, and how to cope.

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*The Irish Cancer Society uses the most up-to-date cancer statistics from the National Cancer Registry Ireland, available on www.ncri.ie