Maybe you already know something about cancer, which is a mutation of the cells. Maybe you don’t. Either way, it is essential that we learn as well as understand this disease to be able to take care of our health. This blog will cover the 5 most common types of cancer; their symptoms, how to prevent getting them, and possible types of treatment. “1 in two people will develop some form of cancer during their lifetime” (NHS). Below are the lists for the five most common types of cancer in the USA and the UK. As you can see, they are quite similar. USA UK 1. Breast 1. Breast 2. Lung 2. Lung 3. Colorectal 3. Prostate 4. Prostate 4. Bowel (Also known as colorectal) 5. Skin 5. Skin (Who) (Cancer Research UK) Breast cancer As the name suggests, it is a cancer of the breast tissue in which symptoms include lumps and rashes on the breasts. About 1 in 8 women are diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime and mostly in women older than 50, although younger women can also get it. Many think that this cancer only affects women, which is untrue. Men have small amounts of breast tissue, which can become cancerous. Risk factors: - Age - Genetics - Family history of breast cancer - Alcohol To name a few. However, there are also preventative measures in place. In the UK, all women who are between the ages of 50 – 70 have a mandatory mammogram - an X-ray of the breast - every 3 years. If you do get breast cancer, there is an array of treatments: - Surgery - Radiotherapy - Chemotherapy - Hormone therapy - Targeted therapy Read more about breast cancer here. Lung cancer In the UK, 47,000 people are diagnosed with lung cancer annually. In the US, the predicted new cases for 2021 is 235,760. Symptoms mostly appear in the later stages and include: persistent coughing, coughing up blood, breathlessness and tiredness. A major risk increasing factor of developing lung cancer is smoking. Smoking accounts for 72% of cases, a staggering number. Smoking not only drastically increases the risk of lung cancer, but causes a multitude of other health problems too. Read more here. Although there aren’t any preventative or screening measures, unlike with breast cancer, there are several treatment options available including surgery for early cases, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy for more severe cases. Want to learn more about lung cancer? Prostate cancer The prostate is a gland in the pelvis that only men have. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer type for men; there are about 48,000 cases every year in the UK. It develops gradually, so symptoms are not visible until the prostate grows bigger and affects the bladder. Even then, symptoms are very minor and hard to notice; for example, needing to pee more or straining wile peeing. You may also feel like your bladder has not completely emptied. Risk Factors: - Age - Race (prostate cancer is more common in men of African or Caribbean descent and less common in Asian men) - Genetics - Family history of prostate cancer - Obesity Luckily, there are several tests that can be performed to screen for this cancer. For example: - MRI scan. - Physical exam (DRE) - Blood tests - A biopsy Treatment of prostate cancer does not need to start immediately, especially at earlier stages. Otherwise, doctors can surgically remove the prostate or use radiotherapy. Learn more here. Colorectal (Bowel) Cancer Colorectal cancer is cancer that occurs in the colon or the rectum, which are two parts of the large intestine. It is most common in people over 60 years of age and in the UK; there are 43,300 new cases per year. That number rises to 150,000 a year in America. Symptoms: - Blood in your excrement - Persistent change to do with your bowel movement - Lasting stomach pain Risk Factors: - Age - Diet - Obesity - Little exercise - Smoking To name a few. Bowl cancer screening is required in the UK for people aged 60-74. Patients are sent an at home test kit to collect a stool samples. Treatments for bowel cancer are similar to those for lung cancer. Read more here. Skin Cancer (non – melanoma) Skin cancer is the fastest rising cancer, with an increasing number of cases every year. However, it is also the most easily preventable. Non-melanoma skin cancer affects the upper levels of the skin and is different from melanoma cancer, which is more serious. You may start to find lumps or discolouration on the skin. They may get larger over the course of a few months or even years. As you may know, skin cancer is caused by UV rays which come from the sun. Long time exposure to the sun without protection (sun cream, clothing, shade etc.) can result in painful skin cancer. Furthermore, tanning beds and sun lamps also have UV rays which increase your chance of cancer. Other Risk Factors: - Family history of skin cancer - Pale skin - Large number of moles or freckles Treatments: - Surgery - Cryotherapy - Radiotherapy - Photodynamic therapy Learn more here! We hope you learnt something from this short overview of the five most common types of cancer. If you wish to learn more, click on the links in each category which will redirect you to the NHS website. If you recognise you have some of these symptoms, please contact your GP, in most cases, it won’t be cancer. Make sure to also check out some more of Cancer Together’s blog posts and podcasts! Ellie LoweEllie Lowe is an active member of our Podcast Team. She regularly contributes thoughtful articles and inspiring podcasts for Fresh Perspectives.
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Prostate cancer is unfortunately the second leading cause of cancer death in the U.S. Approximately 60% of the cases are diagnosed in men over the age of 65. The 5-year survival rate of prostate cancer is 31%. In 2018, 1,279,106 prostate cancer cases were registered globally, with France having the most out of every country. However, the death rate of prostate cancer dropped drastically from 1993 to 2017 as a result of regular screening and treatment advances. A brand new treatment vaccine was created not too long ago to treat metastatic prostate cancer. The vaccine works with your immune system in multiple ways to succumb the cancer cells in the prostate area. Realistically, prostate cancer cells grow because the immune system doesn’t detect them, or mistakes them for a normal cell. So, this vaccine would make sure the detection does not fail. Specifically, the vaccine is made up of man’s own cells and is vaccinated through a process called leukapheresis. Blood goes out through a needle in one arm, some white blood cells, platelets and red blood cells are withdrawn, and the rest of the blood is pumped back into the other arm. The returned cells are paired up with a protein that links prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP). The name of this vaccine is Provenge. It is important to remember that the vaccine will treat the cancer, not cure the cancer. This is something that people often get confused by. Treating will make the person live an easier life while still having prostate cancer. Fortunately, the vaccine is already working significantly well. Provenge has been shown to increase average survival by a few months, which is huge for a fairly new vaccine. Men with metastatic cancer will have Provenge slow down the cancer, but not stop it. The only real side effect of the vaccine are flu-like symptoms, which disappear in short time. Sources: https://www.pcf.org/news/immunotherapy-a-vaccine-for-prostate-cancer/#:~:text=Provenge%3A%20Provenge%20 https://www.cancer.net/cancer-types/prostate-cancer/statistics#:~:text=Prostate%20cancer%20is%20the%20second,of%20screening%20and%20treatment%20advances. https://www.wcrf.org/dietandcancer/cancer-trends/prostate-cancer-statistics Abrar MuradAbrar Murad is a former member of our blog team here at Cancer Together. He worked on writing informative and powerful pieces to share with our community. |