How do you know if you have cancer in your body?
Breast Cancer
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer among women in the U.S. In 2019, roughly 271,270 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed in the U.S. About 1 in 8 women will develop invasive breast cancer over a lifetime, on average. However, today, 9 out of 10 women with breast cancer are still alive five years after their diagnosis due to earlier detection and advanced therapies.
Cervical cancer is a type of cancer that occurs in women in the cells of their cervix. The cervix is the lower part of the uterus that connects to the vagina.
In the United States, almost 14,500 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer every year and more than 4000 will die from it. The incidence of cervical cancer has declined dramatically worldwide in those countries with access to cervical cancer screening (Pap tests/smears) and human papillomavirus vaccination (HPV). However, in less developed countries it continues to rank as one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths among women. Virtually all cases of cervical cancer are associated with the HPV virus, with two strains, HPV 16 and HPV 18, estimated to cause up to 70% of all cases. Cervical cancer is one of the most preventable types of cancer.
Prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer in men in the United States (other than skin cancer). On average, one man in nine will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during his lifetime; however, only 17% of men diagnosed with prostate cancer will die from it.
Prostate cancer is more likely to be diagnosed in older men and African-American men. The risk of prostate cancer increases with age, and it affects 6 out of every 10 men over the age of 65. The average age at diagnosis is 66 and the disease is very rare in men under the age of 40.
Lung Cancer
Lung cancer is a cancerous lung disease that is primarily caused by smoking. It is in the top three most common cancers among both men and women in the U.S. and is the leading cause of cancer death in both sexes. Most people are diagnosed with lung cancer at a late stage because it often has no obvious symptoms until the disease is quite advanced.
Treatment for lung cancer may involve chemotherapy, radiation therapy, surgery, or targeted drug therapies. Unfortunately, survival rates are low.
Breast Cancer: Treatment and Prevention Options
Overview: Treatment of Breast Cancer
Breast cancer is the most common female cancer in the U.S. with the exception of skin cancer. The primary risk factors for having breast cancer diagnosis include being a woman and older age, with most breast cancers occurring after the age of 50.
Currently, the average risk of developing breast cancer over 80 years of life is 12.5%. However, today, 90% of women with breast cancer are still alive five years after their diagnosis due to earlier detection and advanced treatment options.
What is Breast Cancer?
Cancer is a group of many related diseases that begin in cells, the body's basic unit of life. The body is made up of many types of cells, and normally, cells grow and divide to produce more cells only when the body needs them. Sometimes, however, cells keep dividing when new cells are not needed. These extra cells form a mass of tissue, called a growth or tumor. There are two types of tumor: benign and malignant.
What is Cancer?
Cancer is the name given to a group of related diseases characterized by the uncontrolled and excessive growth of abnormal cells. More than 200 different types of cancer have been identified.
When these extra cells form a mass or a solid lump of tissue, it is called a tumor. Most cancers form tumors, but not all do. Tumors may be either benign or cancerous.
Chemotherapy
Overview
Chemotherapy is a drug treatment that uses powerful chemicals to kill fast-growing cells in your body.
Chemotherapy is most often used to treat cancer, since cancer cells grow and multiply much more quickly than most cells in the body.
Treatment
There are several types of treatment for cancer. The main cancer treatments are surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Other treatments include hormonal therapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy and stem cell transplants.
Cancer treatments are given by cancer specialists (oncologists) who specialize in radiation therapy or chemotherapy and other drug therapies. Surgeons use their skill in doing surgery to remove tumours.
The type of treatment you have will depend on many factors, including:
the type of cancer you have
the stage of the cancer
your personal preferences
your age
Treatment plans
Sometimes people who have the same cancer will be given different treatments. Some people will have only 1 treatment but most people will have a combination of treatments such as surgery with chemotherapy or radiation therapy or both.
When a combination of treatments is used, they may be given together or at different times.
First line therapy is the first, most common or preferred (standard) treatment given for a type of cancer. It is also called primary therapy or primary treatment.
Neoadjuvant treatment is given before other treatments such as surgery. It may be given if a tumour is too large to be removed by surgery. It may include chemotherapy, radiation therapy or hormone therapy.
Adjuvant treatment is given to destroy cancer cells left behind after surgery and reduce the risk that the cancer will come back (recur).
Treatment goals
Treatment is given for different reasons. Sometimes, the goal of treatment can change over time.
Prevention (prophylaxis)
Treatment is given to prevent the growth of cancer cells or to remove precancerous tissue that could turn into cancer.
Cure
Treatment is given to cure the cancer.
Control
Treatment is given to control the cancer and stop it from growing and spreading. It also reduces the risk of the cancer coming back.
Palliative care
When the cancer can’t be cured or controlled, treatment may be given to relieve pain or ease the symptoms of advanced cancer.
Types of treatment
Treatment can be broadly divided into the following types of therapies.
Local therapy is directed at a specific part of the body and is often used when cancer is only in that area. Radiation therapy and surgery are both local treatments.
Systemic therapy travels through the bloodstream to reach cancer cells throughout the body. Many chemotherapy drugs are systemic treatments that are absorbed by the body’s cells and tissues.
Targeted therapy uses drugs to target specific molecules (such as proteins) on cancer cells or inside them. By targeting these molecules, the drugs stop the growth and spread of cancer cells and limit harm to normal cells.
Side effects of treatment
Side effects can happen with any type of treatment for cancer, but everyone’s experience is different. Not everyone has side effects or experiences them in the same way. Side effects can occur during or after treatment. They may go away quickly or last for a long time.
