The 6 Most Common Cancers

On an annual basis, cancer is claiming the lives of fewer people now than in 2006. Death rates are declining, but cancer is still fatal for more than 500,000 Americans every year. The various forms of cancer combined make it the second leading cause of death in the United States, exceeded only by heart disease. In fact, nearly 1 out of every 4 deaths in the U.S. is due to cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, doctors will diagnose an estimated 1,735,350 new cases of cancer this year, and project 609,640 will die from cancer.

Excluding basal cell and squamous cell skin cancers—which are both highly treatable when found early—here’s more about the six most frequently diagnosed cancers in the United States.

Almost 269,000 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed this year. Being overweight or obese, consuming alcohol, and a lack of physical activity can all increase your risk of getting breast cancer. Although men can develop this type of cancer, it is about 100 times more common among women than men. Fortunately, mammograms can find breast cancer early when treatments are most effective and survival rates are highest. If you’re due for this screening, consider scheduling yours soon.

More than 234,000 lung and bronchial cancers are expected to be diagnosed in 2018. Tobacco use is the number one cause of lung cancer, although people who don’t smoke can get lung cancer, too. Exposure to radon, asbestos, diesel exhaust, and secondhand smoke are some other risk factors for this disease. The most effective way to reduce your risk of lung cancer? Don’t smoke, or quit if you already do smoke, and avoid breathing in other people’s smoke. A low-dose CT scan can be an effective screening test to find lung cancer.

New cases of prostate cancer will affect an estimated 164,700 men in the year ahead. Common risk factors for the disease include family history of prostate cancer, age (the chance of having this cancer rises quickly after age 50), and race (prostate cancer is more common in African-American men). Two screenings—testing the amount of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in a man’s blood or a digital rectal exam (DRE)—are effective at finding this cancer. Prostate cancer is more successfully treated than other cancers. In fact, the relative 5-year survival rate is almost 100%. More than 2 million men in the U.S. count themselves as prostate cancer survivors.

Cancers of the colon and rectum are expected to occur in just over 140,000 people in the United States this year. There are many risk factors for this disease, including diets high in red meats, smoking, being overweight or obese, or having a personal or family history of colorectal polyps or colorectal cancer. There are many screening types for this cancer as well, such as colonoscopy, sigmoidoscopy, and double-contrast barium enema to name a few. Living a healthy lifestyle can help reduce your risk but regular screenings are also important. Screenings can often find colorectal cancer early when it’s most treatable, or sometimes even prevent it altogether.

Melanoma
of the skin is estimated to be found in more than 91,000 people this year. Melanoma
is less common but more serious than other types of skin cancers. Overexposure
to ultraviolet (UV) rays from sunlight or tanning beds is a primary cause of
this form of cancer. Avoiding tanning beds and protecting your skin with the
proper clothing and sunscreen are excellent methods to reduce your risk.
Melanoma can often be found early through skin self-exams or exams by
healthcare professionals. Depending on what stage melanoma is found at, the
10-year survival rates range from around 95 to 24%.

About
81,000 people will experience urinary bladder cancer, as projected by the
American Cancer Society. Smoking is the most important risk factor for this
cancer; smokers are at least three times as likely to get bladder cancer as
people who don’t smoke. Other factors like race (Caucasians are about twice as
likely to develop this disease as African Americans and Hispanics) and age
(about 9 out of 10 people with this cancer are older than 55) can increase a
person’s risk, too. Unfortunately, no screening test has been shown to lower
the risk of dying from bladder cancer at this time, which means prevention
through not smoking and eating a diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables are
a person’s best chance of avoiding this type of cancer.

Working closely with your physician is one of the most important steps you can take to keep cancer out of your life. Your physician can help you determine any risk factors that increase your chances of getting cancer, such as eating an unhealthy diet, smoking, having a family history of a particular cancer, and many others. Based on your risks your physician may recommend a cancer screening or help you formulate a plan to reduce your risk factors. At this time, a healthy lifestyle and regular screenings are the surest ways to prevent and detect most type of cancers.