Summary of Cancers
The most common cancers in adults are breast, cervical, colorectal, lung and prostate.
Breast Cancer
Breast cancer is a malignant tumor that starts from cells of
the breast. A
malignant
tumor is a group of cancer cells that may invade
surrounding tissues or spread (metastasize) to distant areas of the
body. The disease occurs almost entirely in women, but men can get it,
too.
Colorectal Cancer
Colon and rectal cancers develop in your large intestine, the lower part of your intestinal tract. Most begin as small, noncancerous (benign) clumps of cells called adenomatous polyps. Over time some of these polyps become cancerous.
Colorectal cancer is preventable through regular testing, and through the removal of polyps (adenomas) in the colon, which often grow into cancerous tumors. You can greatly reduce your risk of getting colorectal cancer by making healthy choices and taking a few simple and easy steps - steps which could save your life.
Gynecological Cancers
Cervical cancer is a disease in which the cells of the cervix become abnormal and start to grow uncontrollably, forming tumors. There are 2 main types of cervical cancers: squamous cell carcinomaand adenocarcinoma. Cervical cancer is a highly preventable and curable disease.
Ovarian Cancer
Ovarian cancer is responsible for more deaths than any other gynecologic cancer. A woman has a 1.7% chance of developing ovarian cancer over her lifetime
While 93% of women diagnosed with ovarian cancer in the early, localized stage survive five years beyond diagnosis, less than 20% of cases are found early. Women diagnosed with regional- and distant-stage ovarian cancer have five-year relative survival rates of 68% and 30%, respectively.1,63
Factors that act to increase a woman’s risk of developing ovarian cancer include age, hereditary factors, a personal or family history of ovarian or breast cancer, nulliparity (bearing no children), physical inactivity, a diet high in animal fats and low in fruits and vegetables, and smoking.65–69 Research has shown that using oral contraceptive pills (OCP) reduces the risk of ovarian cancer.65,70
Lung Cancer
Smoking is the number one cause of lung cancer - 87% of lung cancer cases are caused by smoking. The more you smoke and the longer you smoke, the greater your risk of lung cancer.
Secondhand smoke also puts you at risk for Lung cancer. Radon is considered to be the second leading cause of lung cancer.
Melanoma
Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States, affecting some 1 million Americans every year. The are three main types of skin cancer: 1. Basal cell, the most prevalent; 2. squamous cell; 3. Malignant melanoma.
Basal and squamous cell cancers have a good prognosis, but are at higher risk for developing additional skin cancers. Melanoma is the rarest but most lethal form of skin cancer, is responsible for about three-fourths of all deaths from skin cancer.
Oral & Oropharyngeal Cancers
Oral and oropharyngeal cancer include cancer of the lip, tongue, floor of the mouth, palate, gingiva and alveolar mucosa, buccal mucosa, and oropharynx. The known risk factors are long-term tobacco use, alcohol use, immunosuppression, use of betel (areca) quid popular in Asian population, and in the case of lip cancer, long-term sun exposure.
Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer happens when cells in the prostate begin to grow out of control and can then invade nearby tissues or spread throughout the body. Usually, prostate cancer is very slow growing. However, sometimes it will grow quickly and spread to nearby lymph nodes.
Risk factors that predispose men to prostate cancer are older age, black race, and a family history of prostate cancer (a history of having an affected first-degree relative at least doubles the risk) (4). According to the American Cancer Society, about 70% of all men with clinically diagnosed prostate cancer are aged 65 years or older (5). Because prostate cancer usually occurs at an age when conditions such as heart disease and stroke cause death, many men die with prostate cancer rather than from it.
Childhood Cancer
Just as children are not “little adults”, childhood cancer is different in many ways from adult cancer. Acute leukemia, central nervous system tumors, neuroblastoma, Wilm’s tumor, and non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas constitute the top five diagnoses under 14 years of age. This is in contrast to Hodgkin’s disease (HD), germ cell tumors, non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas (NHL), melanoma, and soft tissue sarcomas, which are more frequent in youngsters 15 to 19 years of age
Palliative Care
Palliative care is a coordinated, inter-disciplinary approach to healthcare that enhances the quality of life of patients with cancer and other illnesses. It targets the physical and psychological symptoms and spiritual needs of patients from the time of diagnosis to end-of-life care in all settings.
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