Cancer care (5) Posts

When it comes to cancer, the saying "knowledge is power" is very true. The more you know about cancer types and risk factors, the better chance you have to proactively care for yourself with screening and healthier habits. Cancer can happen to anyone and in any part of the body. However, there are some cancers that are more common than others. What are the three most common cancers for men?

Starting at age 50, most people become familiar with the colonoscopy. Used to screen for colorectal cancer and pre-cancerous polyps, the colonoscopy has proven to be very effective at finding issues early and removing polyps before they have the chance to turn into cancer. If it's time for you to schedule this screening test, be sure to review the following questions with your provider. 

According to the American Cancer Society, lung cancer is the second most common cancer in both men and women (not counting skin cancer). About 14% of all new cancers are lung cancers. The American Cancer Society's estimates for lung cancer in the United States for 2017 are:

Cancer is a disease in which cells start to grow abnormally and it can strike any area of the body. Normally, our cells divide in a controlled manner to replace old or damaged cells. If cells keep dividing when new cells are not needed, a mass of tissue, called a tumor, forms. A tumor can be benign or malignant. A benign tumor is not cancer and will not spread to other parts of the body. A malignant tumor is cancer. 

A mammogram is a simple x-ray of the breast that is used to find abnormalities in breast tissue. Doctors also compare one year's mammogram to previous tool at finding breast cancer.

Finding breast cancer early reduces your risk of dying from the disease by 25% or more. What else should you know about mammograms?