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Types of Cancer
The information below
describes the most common types of cancer and will most likely answer
your immediate questions.
The information provided within this website
is not intended as medical advice. It should never be substituted
for a consultation with a healthcare professional. Please contact
your physician or visit a Comprehensive Cancer Centers of Nevada
office with questions and concerns about your health condition.
A wealth of additional information can be found
on the Internet to help you learn more about your specific cancer,
its treatments and what you will experience. For additional websites
to explore, click here.
Breast Cancer: Other than
skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common cancer among women.
It is the second leading cause of cancer death in women, after lung
cancer. Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among
women aged 40 to 55.
Breast cancer begins in the breast tissue and
is most commonly associated with women. About 1% of breast cancer
occurs in men.
There are several types of breast tumors. Most are benign; that
is, they are not cancerous. These lumps are often the result of
fibrocystic changes, which can cause breast swelling and pain. Cysts
are fluid-filled sacs, and fibrosis refers to connective tissue
or scar tissue formation.
Affected breasts may feel lumpy, and sometimes
there is a clear or slightly cloudy nipple discharge. Benign breast
tumors are abnormal growths, but they do not spread outside the
breast and they are not life threatening.
Cervical Cancer: Cervical
cancer strikes only women, as it begins in the lining of the cervix.
The cervix is the lower part of the womb (uterus) and it connects
the body of the uterus to the vagina, or birth canal.
Cancer of the cervix does not form suddenly.
First, some cells begin to change from normal to pre-cancerous and
then to cancer. This can take a number of years, although the development
of these cancerous cells varies widely among its victims.
For some women, pre-cancerous changes may go
away without any detection or treatment. More often, they need to
be treated to prevent them from changing into true cancers.
When found and treated early, cervical cancer
often can be cured. Cervical cancer used to be one of the most common
causes of cancer death for American women. But between 1955 and
1992, the number of deaths from cervical cancer declined by 74%.
This dramatic improvement is largely due to the common use of PAP
tests for early detection of cancers.
Colon and Rectal Cancer: Colon
and rectal (colorectal) cancer begins in either the colon or the
rectum. Both are part of the digestive tract, where food is processed
to create energy and rid the body of waste matter.
Over 95% of colorectal cancers are adenocarcinomas.
These are cancers of the cells that line the inside of the colon
and rectum. Before a true cancer develops, there are often earlier
changes in the lining of the colon or rectum. One type of change
is a growth of tissue called a polyp. Removing a polyp early may
prevent it from becoming cancerous.
The death rate from colorectal cancer has steadily
been declining over the past 20 years. This is due to advances in
early detection and treatment methods.
Lung and Bronchus Cancer:
Lung cancer begins in the lungs, two sponge-like organs in the chest.
Lung cancer often takes many years to develop, but it is one of
the deadliest of all cancers.
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer
death for both men and women. Lung cancer is fairly rare in people
under the age of 40. The risk increases over age 50, and even more
so after age 65.
Smoking is by far the leading cause of lung
cancer, with up to 90% of lung cancers caused by smoking. The longer
a person has smoked, and the more cigarettes per day smoked, the
greater the risk. Of course, not every smoker gets lung cancer.
But, people who quit smoking, at any age, greatly lower their risk
of getting lung cancer.
The lining that surrounds the lungs is called
the pleura, and it helps to protect the lungs. The windpipe (trachea)
which brings air into the lungs, divides into tubes called bronchi,
which further divide into smaller branches called bronchioles. At
the end of these small branches are tiny air sacs known as alveoli.
Most lung cancers start in the lining of the
bronchi. But lung cancer can also begin in other areas like the
trachea, bronchioles, or alveoli.
Melanoma of the Skin: Cancer
of the skin is the most common of all cancers. Skin cancers are
divided into two general types: melanoma and nonmelanoma
cancers.
Melanoma is the most dangerous of
all skin cancers. It accounts for only about 4% of skin cancer cases,
but causes almost 80% of skin cancer deaths. This cancer begins
in the melanocytes, the cells that produce the skin coloring or
pigment known as melanin.
Other names for this cancer include malignant
melanoma, melanoma skin cancer, and cutaneous melanoma. Because
most melanoma cells still produce melanin, melanoma tumors are often
brown or black.
Melanoma is almost always curable in its early
stages. However, melanoma is much more likely to spread to other
parts of the body than other types of skin cancer.
Prostate Cancer: Striking
only men, prostate cancer starts in the prostate gland. The prostate
is about the size of a walnut, and is located just below the bladder
and in front of the rectum. The tube that carries urine (urethra)
runs through the prostate.
Prostate cancer is the most common type of
cancer found in American men, other than skin cancer. Although men
of any age can get prostate cancer, it is found most often in men
over 50. In fact, more than eight out of ten men with prostate cancer
are over the age of 65.
Most of the time, prostate cancer grows very
slowly. Autopsy studies show that many elderly men who die of other
diseases also have prostate cancer that is undetected and untreated.
However, sometimes prostate cancers can grow
quickly, spreading to other parts of the body. Cancerous cells may
enter the lymph system and spread to lymph nodes (small, bean-shaped
collections of cells that help in fighting infections). If cancer
reaches the lymph nodes, it is more likely to spread to other organs
of the body.
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