Cancers are the most dreaded of all diseases because of the serious and often fatal implications they are associated with. Americans afflicted with cancers of all sorts number over 11 million. Did you know that there are over two hundred types of cancer that the medical world has identified? Many of these are very rare, though. You should know and be wary of the most commonly diagnosed types of cancer affecting many people in the United States each year.
Nonmelanoma skin cancer. There are over 1 million people diagnosed with nonmelanoma skin cancer annually. It is ranked sixth and seventh the most common cancer type in men and women, respectively. This prevalent type of cancer can be best prevented by regularly applying sunscreen with a SPF or sun protection factor of 15 or above. Doing this until you are eighteen years old will reduce the incidence of nonmelanoma skin cancer in your lifetime by 78%. The good news about this type of cancer is that there is better than 95% rate of being cured when it is detected early and treated accordingly.
Lung cancer. There are an estimated 0.22 million cases of lung cancer every year. Lung cancer causes damages to the cells that line your lungs. It is the leading cancer type in terms of cancer deaths for both men and women in America yearly. Cigarette smoking and inhalation of second-hand smoke are the leading causes of lung cancer.
Breast cancer. Close to 200,000 women are affected by breast cancer each year. It is the most prevalent type of cancer among women. Men do get breast cancer also, although the number of incidents per year – about 2,000 cases – is much, much lower compared to that for women.
Prostate cancer. Over 192,000 prostate cancer cases are diagnosed every year. Prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer affecting men. Most of those with this condition are men who are past 50 years. Hormonal changes with men’s aging cause this condition to develop.
Colon and rectal (colorectal) cancer. More than 146,000 cases of cancers of the colon and rectum combined occur every year. The cecum, colons, and rectum are part of the large intestine, which is responsible for the break down and digestion of food.
Bladder cancer. More than 70,000 people are diagnosed with cancer of the bladder each year. In this type of cancer, the cancer cells develop within the bladder tissues. Transitional cell carcinoma is most common type of bladder cancer.
Melanoma. Each year, more than 68,000 people get afflicted with melanoma, a type of skin cancer. It develops in the melanocyte cells of the skin, which are responsible for producing melanin, the brown pigment. Melanoma usually begins to form in moles of people who have a lot of skin pigment. Melanoma is not only found in skin but in other parts of the body that are pigmented, such as intestines or the eyes.
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma. About 66,000 people suffer from this type of blood cancer. Lymphoma is a term for a group of cancers involving the lymphocytes or white blood cells. Its symptoms are swollen lymph nodes, weight loss and fevers. There a number of different types of non-Hodgkin lymphoma and people of all ages can have this cancer.
Kidney cancer. Close to 50,000 people can have cancer of the kidney each year. The kidneys’ extract waste from the blood and excretion it out as urine. The cancer develops inside the kidney, in the tissues or ducts. Kidney cancer mainly affects people aged over 40 years although a particular kidney tumor type commonly develops in young children.
Leukemia. About 45,000 cases of leukemia are diagnosed annually. There are four main types of this cancer known as blood cancers. They often develop in the bone marrow, cells and tissues associated with the formation of blood cells. They can be chronic, or slowly progressing, or acute, meaning there is rapid progression of the symptoms. Of all cancers, leukemia causes the death of more children younger than 20 years old, although they can affect children and adults alike.
Awareness proceeds prevention. Knowing the most common types of cancer afflicting the population should make you wary. The next step is for you to strive to prevent them occurring to you and to people you care for.