Cancer begins when cells in one part of the body begin to grow abnormally and quickly. Cancer cells can invade tissues and organs, causing the person to become sick. Some cancers can be inherited, some can be caused by environmental factors and some cancers are due to poor lifestyle choice, like smoking or unhealthy eating.
Cancer Prevalence
The prevalence of cancer is how many people are living with cancer at a certain date in a population. Prevalence takes into consideration how long people live with cancer. Prevalence does not measure how common cancer is in a population, that is called incidence. According to the American Cancer Society, in 2006 the estimated cancer prevalence in the United States was 11,028,000. This number includes all types of cancer and people of all ages.
Early Screenings
Early screenings exist for almost every type of cancer. The American Cancer Society has published guidelines for the most common types of cancer. For early screenings of breast cancer, women should have yearly mammograms starting at the age of 40. Men and women should have screenings done for colorectal cancer beginning at the age of 50. Women should have cervical cancer screenings done every year. Men should talk with their doctor about prostate cancer screenings, since this often depends on family history.
Diagnostic Tests
Early screening tests can detect if a person has cancer. A person whose screening test comes back positive for cancer will go in for follow-up tests. A computed tomography, or CT, is used to detect tumors in the patient. According to the National Cancer Institute, a CT scan can show how large the tumor is, its location, what tissues and organs it affects and if the tumor has spread to other parts of the body. When the tumor has been located, the doctors will perform a biopsy. A biopsy is a surgical procedure where the doctor will take a small sample of the tumor and place it under a microscope to look for cancer cells.
Treatment Options
Treatment will depend on the overall health of the patient, the type of cancer and how far the cancer has progressed. Common cancer treatments include chemotherapy, radiation and surgery. Chemotherapy is a combination of potent drugs that are generally administered through an IV. The drugs attack and kill the fast-growing cancer cells. However, chemotherapy comes with many side effects. Radiation therapy uses high-energy radiation to destroy cancer cells and shrink the tumor. Radiation therapy can be delivered through a machine or by placing "seeds" of the radiation therapy inside the patient's body. Surgery may also be done to remove the tumor in the patient. Many cancer patients will have a combination of treatment.
Survival
Surviving cancer can depend on numerous factors, including a patient's age, overall health, the type of cancer, the stage of cancer, when the cancer was detected and how well the patient tolerates treatment. Patients who receive regular cancer screenings often do better since the cancer is detected faster and is often at an early, treatable stage.
