Top 5 Deadliest Cancers
Cancer remains the No.
But there’s still a long way to go. 2 cause of death in the U.S., just behind
heart disease. 5.
Prostate Cancer Some gene changes can
also cause it. It’s more common among African-American men than whites, Asians,
or Hispanics, but experts don’t know why. Men are more likely to
get prostate cancer after age 50. Doctors usually find it in guys older than 65. They may also use
ultrasound to look at the possible tumor. They could also get a digital rectal
exam, in which the doctor inserts a gloved finger into the bottom and feels the
prostate for hard, lumpy, or abnormal areas. So researchers want to
develop new blood, urine, and gene tests. Almost all men are still alive 5
years after finding out they have early-stage prostate cancer. If you get it,
what’s the outlook? It’s very good when the disease is found early. It usually
grows slowly and stays in the same area where it started. Among those men, 72%
die of this cancer within 5 years. Like other cancers, it helps to find it ASAP.
When doctors find it after it’s spread far from the prostate, the odds of
survival aren’t as good. But when it starts to spread to other areas of the
body, it can move fast. This cancer is very
hard to find early. By the time symptoms
show up, the cancer has usually already spread. deaths in 2014: 39,590 About 1 in 67 people
gets it. You’re more likely to get pancreatic cancer if
it runs in your family, you smoke, you’re obese, or you have chronic
pancreatitis (long-lasting inflammation of the pancreas). No. Just 6% of people diagnosed with
pancreatic cancer are alive more than 5 years later. The pancreas is deep
inside your belly. But everyone is different, and doctors can’t predict who
will live that long or longer. Researchers want to
make gene tests to screen people in families struck by the disease. You should get a doctor
to check on what it is. You may get a biopsy, in which the doctor uses a thin
needle to get a sample to test to see if it’s cancer. Like other cancers, the
earlier it’s found, the better. There are more breast cancer survivors than
ever before. Some breast cancers
grow or spread more quickly. Newer versions like the digital and 3-D mammogram
could be more accurate at finding cancers in some women, especially those who
are young or who have dense breasts. Doctors may also use ultrasound and MRI to
check further. There’s more to it than
gender. deaths in 2014: 40,430 Roughly 1 in 8 women in
the U.S. So are 93% of those with stage II breast cancer, 72% of those with
stage III, and 22% of those with stage IV. Breast cancer is most common after
menopause. . Yes. will get breast cancer in their lifetime. Will get colorectal
cancer at some point in their lives. Age is one reason. U.S. Your chances of
getting colon cancer rise as you get older. You’re also more likely to get it
if it runs in your family, you have more than three alcoholic drinks a day, you
smoke, or you’re obese. Most people -- more
than 90% -- live at least 5 years after finding out that they have colorectal
cancer that’s in its earliest stages. A key goal is to be
able to predict which colorectal cancers are more likely to spread. deaths in
2014: 50,310 About 1 in 20 people in
the U.S. Find it early enough, through a colonoscopy or other screening tests,
and the odds of survival are very good. Breathing someone
else’s smoke (“secondhand smoke”) is also a threat. U.S. Doctors usually find
it in people age 65 and older. Smoking is the top
cause. Lung cancer is more common among people with HIV than those who don’t
have the virus, but experts don’t know why. Yes, but doctors don’t recommend routine
screening for everyone. You’re also more likely to get it if it runs in your
family or if you’re exposed to radon and to certain other chemicals (asbestos,
arsenic, chromium, nickel, beryllium, cadmium, tar, and soot). So do about 1 in
16 women. deaths in 2014: 159,260 About 1 in 13 men gets
lung cancer at some point in their life. (Check your plan for details.). Some
insurance, including Medicare, now covers yearly CT lung scans for people ages
55-77 who are heavy smokers (or were in the last 15 years) and have no symptoms
of lung cancer. You may want to ask
your doctor if there are clinical trials you could join. Overall, only 17% are
still alive 5 years after they find out they have it. It also depends on what
type of lung cancer you have. Ask your doctor what you can expect as you get
started with treatment. New medicines could
help put the brakes on the disease. But that number doesn’t tell the whole
story.
Do you know which cancers take the most lives, and
most importantly, which ones you can get screened for?. Cancer care has come a
long way. There are treatments for many types, and in some cases, even cures.
The disease can run in a man’s family. Men who eat
a lot of red meat or high-fat dairy products (and fewer fruits and vegetables)
may be slightly more likely to get it, the American Cancer Society says. How
common is it? One out of every seven men will get this cancer in their lifetime.
What puts a man at risk?
If your doctor is concerned about your result,
they can use a small needle to take a sample, or “biopsy,” of the area to check
for cancer. Men should talk with their doctors about what tests they need, when
to get them, and the pros and cons.
Men might get a blood test that checks for high
levels of PSA (prostate-specific antigen). Are there screening tests? Yes.
What are scientists working on?
4. Pancreatic Cancer
Location is part of the problem. It’s hard to feel
any lumps or growths there, so you might not know that you have it.
What’s the outlook?
How common is it?
What puts people at risk?
Are there routine screening tests?
What are scientists working on?
. U.S.
3. Breast Cancer
No single test is perfect, and experts don’t all
agree on when women should start to get mammograms or how often they need them.
Many breast lumps are not cancer. Almost all women who find out they have stage
I breast cancer are still alive 5 years later. Mammography, a special X-ray of
the breast, is the main test to screen for possible tumors. That’s progress,
but whether it will save lives remains to be seen.
A woman’s best move is to talk with their doctor
about how often they need to get checked -- and then to make that appointment.
If you get it, what’s the outlook?
What are scientists working on?
It’s very common to have a lump in your breast.
Men can get it, too. U.S. If that happens to you, try not to worry. Age also
matters. Genes in the tumors could be a target for new treatments. They are
harder to treat than others. But it’s much less likely: 1 in 1,000.
What puts people at risk?
How common is it?
You’re more likely to get this disease if:
It runs in your family.
You have certain gene changes.
You’re obese.
You drink alcohol.
Your breasts are dense.
You got your first period at or before age 11.
You started menopause late.
You’re a woman who has never been pregnant or
first got pregnant after age 35.
You’ve taken “combination” hormone replacement
therapy.
You’ve been exposed to radiation
Are there screening tests?
2. Colorectal Cancer
What puts people at risk?
Are there screening tests? Yes. “Robotic surgery,” in which the
surgeon guides robotic arms that can do very precise work, is also on the
horizon.
. Less than half of colon cancers are found early.
More than a third of Americans age 50 and over aren't up to date on their
screening.
If you get it, what’s the outlook?
New tests, including ones that look for certain
genes in colon tumors, could make this cancer even easier to find early. Those
vaccines treat cancer, but they don’t prevent it.
What are scientists working on?
How common is it?
But a lot of people don’t get those tests. And one
promising treatment uses cancer vaccines to "train" the immune system
to attack colon cancer cells. Doctors are also working on new chemo drugs.
1. Lung Cancer
What puts people at risk?
Are there screening tests?
How common is it?
What are scientists working on?
For those whose cancer is “local,” meaning that it
hasn’t spread, slightly more than half -- 54% -- are still living 5 years later.
If it’s spread to nearby parts of the body but not
far, roughly a quarter are still alive after 5 years.
Among people whose lung cancer has spread to far
parts of their body, 4% live at least 5 years.
Remember, that’s the big picture. The same disease
may act differently in different people. If you get it, what’s the outlook?
Like other cancers, it’s easiest to treat if you find it early. If you do, ask
what the risks and benefits would be. Some prime the immune system to attack
certain lung tumors.
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