While the mere thought of cancer likely strikes fear in most people, it is important to know that certain cancers are far more grave than others. Learn about 10 of the most common but deadliest cancers that impacted the general public.
Lung Cancer
According to the National Cancer Institute, accounting for an alarming 158,040 deaths, lung cancer was the most common and deadliest cancer in 2015. Hallmarked by two distinct types, non-small cell and small cell, lung cancer is categorized based on how the cells appear under a microscope.
Although various factors can lead to a diagnosis of lung cancer, the most obvious cause comes from tobacco smoking and the inhalation of secondhand tobacco smoke. Most people diagnosed with this form of cancer will tragically be overtaken by the disease.
Colorectal Cancer
Claiming an estimated 49,700 lives in 2015, Who gave the diagnosis of colorectal cancer to an estimated 132,700 this year. In the colon or rectum area, colorectal cancer begins with a growth known as a polyp. While not all polyps are cancerous, the presence can spell trouble if the growth is not removed. It is not uncommon for multiple polyps to grow within the same general region.
Locating and removing the polyps via a medical procedure known as a colonoscopy can prove to be invaluable. Recommended to people over the age of 50, colonoscopy can increase the survival rate of both men and women. An alarming number of deaths are due to the lack of early detection.
Breast Cancer
With a diagnosis statistic of 233,000, breast cancer is the second most common cancer in females, with skin cancer being statistically noted as the most common. Per the information courtesy of the National Cancer Institute, the most prominent type of breast cancer is what is classified as ductal carcinoma.
Breast cancer becomes quite potent once it metastasizes and escapes the point of origin within the ducts or lobules. Regarding diagnosis and prevention, an annual mammogram has the potential to ensure breast health and potentially save your life.
Pancreatic Cancer
Quite possibly the most difficult cancer to diagnose, pancreatic cancer claimed an estimated 40,560 people a year. Originating in the exocrine cells, the lack of hormone secretion within pancreatic tumours is why it is difficult to be diagnosed at its earliest stage.
When pancreatic cancer is discovered, it is typically too late in the progression trail to treat the disease with any success. Although various treatments for pancreatic cancer do exist, the five-year survival rate is, unfortunately, less than six per cent.
Prostate Cancer
The most common form of cancer among men who reside in the United States — prostate cancer tragically extinguished the lives of roughly 28,000 men in 2015. Plaguing the African American community, black men are more likely to succumb to prostate cancer than white men.
Often commencing with no symptoms, prostate cancer typically becomes problematic only during its advanced stages, where a weak urine flow becomes quite noticeable. The only way to detect this form of cancer is through a prostate exam performed by a physician.
Leukemia
Claiming the lives of 24,000 people a year, leukemia is a potentially fatal disease involving blood cells. The type of leukemia a person is afflicted with is based on which blood cells has been compromised. Classified as either acute or chronic, the former diagnosis can lead to death in a very short period, while a slow progression defines the latter form.
Typically afflicting older adults and children, leukemia is statistically noted as the most common cancer of those under 15 years. Per the National Cancer Institute, an estimated 54,000 people were diagnosed with some form of leukemia in 2015.
Lymphoma
Cancer that forms within the lymphatic system cells is known as lymphoma. Being part of your body’s immune, the lymphatic system serves to shield the body against various types of disease and infection.
Presented in two very distinguishable types, Hodgkin and Non-Hodgkin, lymphoma can produce a very mixed outcome depending on the diagnosis.
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma — also known as NHL, is the most common and, unfortunately, the most deadly. While Hodgkin lymphoma is quite serious, Who can usually cure this type of lymphoma without major complications?
Bladder Cancer
The National Cancer Institute has noted that bladder cancer claimed an estimated 16,000 lives and negatively impacted as many as 74,000 in 2015. The urothelial cells are the primary cells compromised by what is known as cell carcinoma. Squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma are the main types of bladder cancer.
Historically considered a major threat to those who smoke tobacco, bladder cancer is largely due to chemical exposure that directly impacts the bladder itself. Additionally, individuals plagued by bladder infections are also at risk due to the chemical agents that can form within the organ. A urine stream consisting of blood is noted as the most common sign.
Kidney Cancer
Expected to have claimed the lives of just over 14,000 people in 2015, kidney cancer, in some form, was a confirmed diagnosis given to an estimated 61,560 people over the past 12 months.
Divided into three main types, renal cell cancer is the most common type of kidney cancer in adults, while Wilms is the primary type seen in children. Forming in the renal pelvis area and ureter in adults, transitional cell cancer is the third type of kidney cancer.
While acts such as smoking and taking specific pain medications for many years can increase the odds for development, kidney cancer can impact anyone regardless of age or gender.
Endometrial Cancer
Endometrial cancer took the lives of an estimated 10,170 people this year out of a diagnosis pool of 54,870. In the starting region for most uterine cancers, endometrial cancers can form in cells that produce their mucus and other fluids.
While several factors can cause this particular form of cancer, the most common sign of endometrial cancer is vaginal bleeding. Although this type of cancer is curable, uterine sarcoma, a type of endometrial cancer that grows within the muscle and tissue of the uterus, is more difficult to treat and remedy.
