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Cancer Statistics
With early detection and treatment, the chance of surviving most cancers is high!
Despite this fact, here are some disturbing statistics about some cancers:
• About 1 in 8 U.S. women (about 13%) will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of her lifetime.
• Each year in the U.S. there are an estimated 15,780 children between the ages of birth and 19 years of age who are diagnosed with cancer. Approximately 1 in 285 children in the U.S. will be diagnosed with cancer before their 20th birthday. 12% of children diagnosed with cancer do not survive.
• Approximately every 3 minutes one person in the United States (US) is diagnosed with a blood cancer.
An estimated combined total of 186,400 people in the US are expected to be diagnosed with leukemia, lymphoma or myeloma in 2022.
• Approximately 541,000 Americans living today have been diagnosed with lung cancer at some point in their lives. During 2022, an estimated 236,000 new cases of lung cancer were expected to be diagnosed, representing about 13 percent of all cancer diagnoses.
• It is estimated that approximately 9,500 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with skin cancer every day.
• This year, an estimated 268,490 men in the United States will be diagnosed with prostate cancer. Approximately 60% of cases are diagnosed in men over 65. Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in men in the United States. It is estimated that 34,500 deaths from this disease will occur this year.
• Excluding skin cancers, colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer diagnosed in both men and women in the United States. The American Cancer Society’s estimates for the number of colorectal cancer cases in the United States for 2022 are: 104,610 new cases of colon cancer and 43,340 new cases of rectal cancer.
GET CANCER SCREENINGS
Breast Cancer Screenings
Breast Cancer Screening Guidelines
Ages 40–44
Get a mammogram annually or every two years.
Ages 45–54
Get a mammogram annually.
Ages 55+
Get a mammogram every two years.
- Self-assessment and clinical breast exams should begin as soon as you’re old enough to see a gynecologist.
- Once a woman is about 40 years old, she should begin getting mammograms.
- If you’re at high risk for breast cancer you should begin getting mammograms 10 years earlier than recommended guidelines.
Breast Cancer Risk Factors
- Age: Aging increases the risk of developing breast cancer. Most cases are diagnosed in people over age 50.
- Genetic Mutations: Some people inherit or develop mutated genes that put them at risk for the disease. These can be identified through genetic testing.
- Family History of Breast Cancer: Though breast cancer isn’t passed down from generation to generation, a family history of the cancer puts your body at a higher risk of developing it as well.
- Reproductive History: Those who started a menstrual period before age 12 or started menopause after age 55 are at higher risk for breast cancer.
Breast Cancer Symptoms
Here are some warning signs to look out for:
- A new lump in the breast or underarm
- Pain in the breast
- Nipple discharge that is not breast milk
- Any change in the size or shape of the breast
- Swelling or irritation in the breast
People who are diagnosed with breast cancer don’t always have the same symptoms.
Cervical Cancer Screenings
Cervical Cancer Screening Guidelines
Ages 21–29
Begin getting Pap smear tests every three years.
Ages 30–64
Begin getting Pap smears every three years, an HPV test every five years or a combination of both tests every five years.
Ages 65+
You may be able to stop screening for cervical cancer if you have had normal results for several years, or if you have undergone a total hysterectomy.
Cervical Cancer Risk Factors
Most cervical cancer cases are caused by HPV. However, the following factors can also increase your risk of developing the disease:
- HIV: This virus makes it hard for your body to fight off sickness and can lead to cervical cancer.
- Smoking: Tobacco byproducts may damage the DNA of cervical cells and increase the risk of developing cancer.
- Taking Birth Control Pills for More than Five Years: Long-term use of birth control pills can increase your risk of developing cancer. This risk lessens the longer you are off birth control pills.
- Giving Birth to Three or More Children: Women who have experienced more than three full-term pregnancies are at a higher risk of developing cervical cancer.
Cervical Cancer Symptoms
Early stages of cervical cancer will most likely not cause symptoms. However, later stages may cause abnormal bleeding or discharge from the vagina.
- Cervical cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the cervix.
- Screening for cervical cancer using the Pap test has decreased the number of new cases of cervical cancer and the number of deaths due to cervical cancer since 1950's.
- Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the major risk factor for cervical cancer.
Colon Cancer Screenings
Prostate Cancer Screenings
Colon Cancer Screening Guidelines
Ages 45–75
Begin screening for colon cancer through either stool-based or visual tests as recommended by your doctor.
Ages 76–85
Determine with your doctor whether or not to continue screenings, based on life expectancy and overall health.
Ages 86+
You no longer need to screen for colorectal cancer.
Colorectal Cancer Risk Factors
- Age: Age increases the risk of developing colorectal cancer. You should begin screenings at age 45.
- Bowel Disease: Inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis can increase the risk of colorectal cancer.
- Family History: Family history of colorectal cancer or colorectal polyps increase your likelihood of developing cancer.
- Genetic Syndromes: Syndromes such as familial adenomatous polyposis and hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer can increase your risk.
Colorectal Cancer Symptoms
Colorectal cancer doesn’t typically show signs.
If you have any of these symptoms
you should talk to your doctor:
- Blood in the stool
- Persistent stomach pain
- Unexplained weight loss
Prostate Cancer Screenings
Prostate Cancer Screenings
Prostate Cancer Screenings
Prostate Cancer Screening Guidelines
Age 50
All men at average risk should talk with a health care provider about the uncertainties, risks, and potential benefits of testing so they can decide if they want to be tested.
Prostate Cancer risk factors
Knowing the risk factors for prostate cancer can help you determine if and when you want to begin prostate cancer screening. The main risk factors include:
- Age. As you get older, your risk of prostate cancer increases. After age 50, your chance of having prostate cancer is increased.
- Race. For reasons that aren't well-understood, black men have a higher risk of developing and dying of prostate cancer.
- Family history. If a close family member — your father, uncle or brother — was diagnosed with prostate cancer before age 65, your risk of the disease is greater than average.
- Inherited gene mutations. Gene mutations associated with prostate cancer risk include BRCA1 and BRCA2. These genes are most closely associated with breast cancer, but they increase the risk of other types of cancer, too. Your doctor might recommend considering genetic testing if you have a strong family history of cancer or if a blood relative has been diagnosed with a gene mutation.
- Diet. A diet that's high in animal fats and low in vegetables may increase your risk of prostate cancer.
Prostate Cancer symptoms
Different people have different symptoms for prostate cancer. Some men do not have symptoms at all.
If you have any of the following symptoms, be sure to see your doctor right away—
- Difficulty starting urination.
- Weak or interrupted flow of urine.
- Urinating often, especially at night.
- Trouble emptying the bladder completely.
- Pain or burning during urination.
- Blood in the urine or semen.
- Pain in the back, hips, or pelvis that doesn’t go away.
- Painful ejaculation.
Keep in mind that these symptoms may be caused by conditions other than prostate cancer.
Lung Cancer Screenings
Prostate Cancer Screenings
Lung Cancer Screenings
Lung Cancer Screening Guidelines
Age 50 to 80
This age is recommended for an annual screening for lung cancer with low-dose computed tomography (CT) in adults aged 50 to 80 years who have a 20 pack-year smoking history and currently smoke or have quit within the past 15 years.
Lung Cancer risk factors
Research has found several risk factors that may increase your chances of getting lung cancer.
- Cigarette smoking is the number one risk factor for lung cancer. In the United States, cigarette smoking is linked to about 80% to 90% of lung cancer deaths. Using other tobacco products such as cigars or pipes also increases the risk for lung cancer. Tobacco smoke is a toxic mix of more than 7,000 chemicals. Many are poisons. People who smoke cigarettes are 15 to 30 times more likely to get lung cancer or die from lung cancer than people who do not smoke. Even smoking a few cigarettes a day or smoking occasionally increases the risk of lung cancer. People who quit smoking have a lower risk of lung cancer than if they had continued to smoke, but their risk is higher than the risk for people who never smoked. Quitting smoking at any age can lower the risk of lung cancer. Cigarette smoking can cause cancer almost anywhere in the body. Cigarette smoking causes cancer of the mouth and throat, esophagus, stomach, colon, rectum, liver, pancreas, voicebox (larynx), trachea, bronchus, kidney and renal pelvis, urinary bladder, and cervix, and causes acute myeloid leukemia.
- Second hand smoke from other people’s cigarettes, pipes, or cigars (secondhand smoke) also causes lung cancer. When a person breathes in secondhand smoke, it is like he or she is smoking. In the United States, one out of four people who don’t smoke, including 14 million children were exposed to secondhand smoke.
- Radon. After smoking, radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States. Radon is a naturally occurring gas that forms in rocks, soil, and water. It cannot be seen, tasted, or smelled. When radon gets into homes or buildings through cracks or holes, it can get trapped and build up in the air inside. People who live or work in these homes and buildings breathe in high radon levels. Over long periods of time, radon can cause lung cancer.
- Other Substances. Examples of substances found at some workplaces that increase risk include asbestos, arsenic, diesel exhaust, and some forms of silica and chromium. For many of these substances, the risk of getting lung cancer is even higher for those who smoke.
- Personal or Family History of Lung Cancer If you are a lung cancer survivor, there is a risk that you may develop another lung cancer, especially if you smoke. Your risk of lung cancer may be higher if your parents, brothers or sisters, or children have had lung cancer. This could be true because they also smoke, or they live or work in the same place where they are exposed to radon and other substances that can cause lung cancer.
- Radiation Therapy to the Chest Cancer survivors who had radiation therapy to the chest are at higher risk of lung cancer.
Lung Cancer symptoms
Different people have different symptoms for lung cancer. Some people just have general symptoms of not feeling well. Most people with lung cancer don’t have symptoms until the cancer is advanced. Lung cancer symptoms may include—
- Coughing that gets worse or doesn’t go away.
- Chest pain.
- Shortness of breath.
- Wheezing.
- Coughing up blood.
- Feeling very tired all the time.
- Weight loss with no known cause.
Other changes that can sometimes occur with lung cancer may include repeated bouts of pneumonia and swollen or enlarged lymph nodes (glands) inside the chest in the area between the lungs.
These symptoms can happen with other illnesses, too. If you have some of these symptoms, talk to your doctor, who can help find the cause.
Skin Cancer Screenings
Prostate Cancer Screenings
Lung Cancer Screenings
Skin Cancer Screening Guidelines
Age 20-30
In general, you should start getting screened in your 20's-30's depending on your sun exposure family history, if you have many moles or if you notice a new growth or a mole getting larger, itchy or discharge. After first screening you should get screened about every 3-years.
Skin Cancer risk factors
Anyone can get skin cancer, but people with certain characteristics are at greater risk—
- A lighter natural skin color.
- Skin that burns, freckles, reddens easily, or becomes painful in the sun.
- Blue or green eyes.
- Blond or red hair.
- Certain types and a large number of moles.
- A family history of skin cancer.
- A personal history of skin cancer.
- Older age.
Exposure to UV Rays
Regardless of whether you have any of the risk factors listed above, reducing your exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays can help keep your skin healthy and lower your chances of getting skin cancer in the future. Most people get at least some UV exposure from the sun when they spend time outdoors. Making sun protection an everyday habit will help you to enjoy the outdoors safely, avoid getting a sunburn, and lower your skin cancer risk.
Skin Cancer symptoms
A change in your skin is the most common sign of skin cancer. This could be a new growth, a sore that doesn’t heal, or a change in a mole.external icon Not all skin cancers look the same.
For melanoma specifically, a simple way to remember the warning signs is to remember the A-B-C-D-Es of melanoma—
- Asymmetrical: Does the mole or spot have an irregular shape with two parts that look very different?
- Border: Is the border irregular or jagged?
- Color: Is the color uneven?
- Diameter: Is the mole or spot larger than the size of a pea?
- Evolving: Has the mole or spot changed during the past few weeks or months?