List Of Facts About Cancer

What Is Cancer?

  • Cancer is a group of diseases characterized by uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells, resulting in death if not controlled or treated. Cancer is caused by both external factors such as tobacco, chemicals, radiation… and internal factors such as inherited, mutations, hormones, and immune conditions…
  • There are usually 10 or more years time between exposure to external factors and detectable cancer.
  • Cancer is treated with surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, biological therapy, and targeted therapy.

Can Cancer Be Prevented?

  • Cancers that are the results of smoking cigarette and heavy drinking of alcohol could be surely prevented. About 170,000 Americans are expected to die in 2008 due to tobacco use.
  • Total cancer deaths expected to occur in 2008 is about 565,650. About 188,000 of those are related to overweight or obesity, physical inactivity, mal-nutrition and could be prevented.
  • Many of the more than 1 million skin cancer cases could have been prevented if proper sun protections was used and avoiding indoor tanning
  • Cancers that are related to infectious agents, such as hepatitis B virus (HBV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and many others, and could also be prevented through lifestyle and behavioral changes, vaccines, or antibiotics.
  • Regular screening can detect, diagnose and remove cancers at early stage when they are most treatable.

Other Facts:

  • Anyone is at risk developing cancer
  • The National Cancer Institute estimated that about 10.8 million Americans who have had cancer in the past were alive in January 2004, some were cancer-free and some were still undergoing treatment
  • About 1,437,180 new cancer cases are expected to be diagnosed in 2008.
  • About 565,650 Americans are expected to die of cancer, more than 1,500 people a day.
  • Cancer is the second most common cause of death in the US next to heart disease
  • Cancer accounts for 1 of every 4 deaths in America.
  • The 5-year survival rate of all cancer patients diagnosed between 1996 to 2003 is 66%.
  • There are usually four stages of cancer. Stage I being the earliest and stage IV being advanced.
  • If cancer cells are present only in the layer of cells where they developed and have not spread, the stage is in situ. If cancer cells have spread beyond the original layer of tissue, the cancer is invasive.

For a complete cancer facts and figures for 2008, get it HERE.

January 16 2009 05:37 pm | cancer

Leave a Reply