Updated March 11, 2015.

Written or reviewed by a board-certified physician. See About.com's Medical Review Board.

Cancer ribbons are a great way to raise awareness, but a friend confided in me recently that she “totally screwed up" when talking to someone wearing a ribbon: she thought the ribbon represented a different cancer, and found herself feeling humiliated. Most people are understanding if you don’t know which ribbon color goes with which cancer, but for those who wish familiarize themselves, here’s a list of cancer ribbons that are used to raise awareness for common cancers.

Cancer Related Ribbons

Uncommon cancers are sometimes represented by a light purple ribbon: the ribbon used to represent all cancers. In some cases, people will instead use the ribbon for rare diseases: a black and white zebra print. I’ve used both the common and scientific names for some cancers to hopefully make it easier to find the ribbon you're looking for. It’s also important to note that in some cases, a cancer is represented by more than one ribbon color, and that this can vary depending on where you live. I may have missed some cancer awareness ribbons, so feel free to email me if you see anything missing.

• All Cancers – Light Purple (Lavender)
• Appendix Cancer – Amber
• Bile Duct Cancer – Green
• Bladder Cancer - Yellow
• Bone Cancer – Yellow
• Bone Marrow Transplant – Green
• Brain Cancer – Gray
• Breast Cancer (Women) – Pink (Hot Pink for Inflammatory Breast Cancer, Teal and Pink for Hereditary Breast Cancer, Teal and Pink for Breast and Gynecologic Cancers Together)
• Breast Cancer (Men) – Light Baby Pink and Baby Blue

• Cancer Survivor – Purple
• Carcinoid Syndrome – Black and White (Zebra-Striped)
• Caregiver – Lavender
• Cervical Cancer – Teal and White
• Childhood Cancer – Gold
• Cholangiocarcinoma - Yellow
• Chondrosarcoma – Yellow
• Colon Cancer – Blue or Brown
• Colorectal Cancer – Blue or Brown
• Endometrial Cancer - Peach
• Esophageal Cancer – Light Purple (periwinkle)
• Ewing’s Sarcoma – Yellow
• Gallbladder Cancer – Yellow
• Gastric Cancer – Periwinkle Blue
• Glioblastoma – Gray
• Gynecological Cancer - Teal
• Head and Neck Cancer – Burgundy and Ivory or Red and White
• Hodgkin’s Lymphoma - Violet
• Kidney Cancer (Renal Cell Carcinoma) – Green or Orange
• Laryngeal Cancer – Burgundy and White
• Leiomyosarcoma - Purple
• Leukemia – Orange
• Leukemia and Lymphoma Together – Red/White/Red Stripes
• Liver Cancer – Emerald or Jade Green
• Living (Coping) with Cancer – Blue and Silver
• Lung Cancer – Pearl, Clear or White
• Lymphedema – Light Blue
• Lymphoma (Non-Hodgkins) – Lime Green
• Melanoma – Black
• Mesothelioma - Pearl
• Myeloma – Burgundy
• Myeloproliferative Diseases – Orange and Red
• Neuroendocrine Cancers – Black and White (Zebra)
• Oral Cancer – Burgundy and White or Red and White
• Osteosarcoma - Yellow
• Ovarian Cancer – Teal
• Pancreatic Cancer – Purple
• Pharyngeal Cancer – Burgundy and White
• Prostate Cancer – Light Blue
• Rare Diseases (Including Rare Cancers) – Black and White (Zebra)
• Rectal Cancer – Blue
• Retinoblastoma – White
• Sarcoma – Yellow
• Skin Cancer – Orange (with a sun)
• Skin Cancer (Squamous Cell Carcinoma) – Red and White
• Small Intestine Cancer – Periwinkle blue
• Stomach Cancer – Periwinkle Blue
• Testicular Cancer – Purple (Orchid or Violet)
• Throat Cancer – Burgundy and White
• Thyroid Cancer – Blue/Pink-Purple/Teal
• Uterine Cancer – Peach or Teal
• Waldenstrom’s Macroglobulinemia – Pearl

History of Cancer Ribbons

Thought to have begun with Napoleon Bonaparte, ribbons to represent illnesses and causes are here to stay. Here is some of the history behind ribbons for cancer awareness.

• Awareness Ribbons – How it All Started
• Awareness Ribbons – Colors and What They Represent
• Breast Cancer and the Pink Ribbon Symbol

Cancer Ribbons for Creative People:

Are you a creative type who would like to make her own ribbons or incorporate the ribbon in other arts? Check out these resources:

• The American Cancer Society provides these instructions for making a lapel pin. Note that it is written with instructions for pink for breast cancer, but you can use the color chart above to craft a lapel pin for whichever cancer you wish to support, or for all cancers. Make Your Own Lapel Pin.
• If you’re into quilting instead, check this out: Cancer Awareness Quilt Block Pattern. Here’s a beautiful example of the final product.
• For rubber stamping, try this free Printable Awareness Ribbon Template.
• Do you enjoy origami?  If so, you may be interested in this article on How to Make an Origami Awareness Ribbon.
• Maybe it's beading you like?  Here is an Easy Square Stitched Awareness Ribbon Free Beading Pattern.
• For those who enjoy knitting, try this free Ribbon Knitting Pattern.
   
• Is it clipart you need? Check this out: Cancer Ribbon Clipart Images.
• Last but not least--and not in any way condoning these--if you like observing skin art, this article delves into Breast Cancer Tattoos That are More Than Skin Deep.

<sub>Sources:

South Florida Cancer Association. Our Adoption and Display of the Cancer Awareness Ribbon. Accessed 03/11/15. http://sflca.org/awareness_ribbon.html</sub>