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The 9 Most Common Types of Cancer

Who’s most at risk? What are the symptoms?
Can it be screened for early identification? How is it treated?

FEMALE BREAST CANCER

RISK FACTORS

  • Alcohol consumption
  • Overweight or obesity
  • Lack of physical activity
  • No pregnancies to birth
  • No breastfeeding
  • Hormonal birth control (e.g., oral contraceptives) or hormone therapy (i.e., for menopause)
  • Breast implants

SYMPTOMS

  • A new lump or mass
  • Swelling of all or part of a breast (even if no lump is felt)
  • Skin dimpling (e.g., orange peel)
  • Nipple retraction (turning inward)
  • Nipple or breast skin that is red, dry, flaking or thickened
  • Nipple discharge (other than breast milk
  • Swollen lymph nodes

SCREENING

  • Self-exam
  • Regular mammograms—Most women should start getting annual mammograms at 40–44 years of age; every other year for women who are ≥55 years and in good health; women at high risk should get breast MRI and mammogram annually starting at age 30

TREATMENT

Breast cancer treatment can vary depending on the type and stage of cancer. Generally, treatment may include the following:

  • Breast-conserving surgery (BCS) (partial mastectomy or lumpectomy) or mastectomy (sometimes surgery alone is sufficient in early stages)
  • Radiation + surgery (Stages I–II)
  • Neoadjuvant (before surgery) and adjuvant (after surgery) systemic therapy (chemo and other drugs) +/- surgery +/- radiation +/- hormone therapy (Stages I–II)
  • Neoadjuvant therapy followed by BCS or mastectomy + radiation + hormone therapy
    (Stages III)

LEUKEMIA AND LYMPHOMA

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is the most common form of leukemia; there are two major types of lymphomas: Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) and non-Hogdkin lymphoma (NHL)

RISK FACTORS

NHL

  • Age (≥60 years)
  • Sex (male)
  • Race (Caucasian)
  • Family history of NHL
  • Exposure to certain chemicals or drugs (e.g., benzene, certain herbicides and insecticides, chemotherapy drugs, methotrexate, and the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors
  • Exposure to radiation
  • Weakened immune system
  •  Autoimmune diseases (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis, celiac)
  • Certain viral infections (e.g., human T-cell lymphotropic virus, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), Human herpes virus 8 (HHV-8), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis C virus (HCV)
  •  Certain bacterial infections (e.g., Helicobacter pylori, Chlamydophila psittaci, Campylobacter jejuni
  • Overweight or obesity
  • Diet high in fats and meats

AML

  • Age (older)
  • Sex (male)
  • Smoking
  • Family history of NHL
  • Family history of AML
  • Exposure to radiation
  • Chronic myeloproliferative disorders (e.g., polycythemia vera, essential thrombocythemia, idiopathic myelofibrosis)
  • Genetic syndrome (e.g., Ataxia- telangiectasia, Neurofibromatosis type 1, Severe congenital neutropenia, Down, Trisomy 8 (being born with an extra copy of chromosome 8)

SYMPTOMS

NHL

  • Enlarged lymph nodes
  • Chills
  • Weight loss
  • Fatigue
  • Swollen abdomen
  • Feeling full after only a small amount of food
  • Chest pain or pressure
  • Shortness of breath or cough
  • Severe or frequent infections
  • Easy bruising or bleeding
  • Itchy, red or purple lumps or bumps under the skin
  • Neurological symptoms such as headache, trouble thinking
  • Fever (which can come and go over several days or weeks) without an infection
  • Night sweats
  • Unintentional weight loss

AML

  • Weight loss
    • Fatigue
    • Fever
    • Night sweats
    • Loss of appetite
    • Vomiting
    • Fatigue
    • Weakness
    • Feeling cold
    • Pale skin
    • Shortness of breath
    • Frequent Infections
    • Excess bleeding (e.g., bruising, frequent or severe nosebleeds, bleeding gums,
    • Neurological symptoms(e.g., headache, slurred speech, confusion)
    • Bone or joint pain

S• welling in the abdomen

  • Skin rashes
    • Enlarged lymph nodes

SCREENING

• No screening tests have been found that lower risks

TREATMENT

  • AML: Chemotherapy
    • NHL: Chemotherapy alone or with radiation therapy (radiation is rarely used alone); targeted and immunotherapy drugs in some

LUNG

RISK FACTORS

  •  Smoking or exposure to secondhand smoke
    • Exposure to radon, asbestos, radioactive ores, or other known cancer-causing agents (e.g., arsenic, beryllium)
    • Exposure to diesel exhaust and/or air pollution • Taking beta carotene supplements if a smoker
    • Arsenic in drinking water
    • History of radiation therapy to the lungs
    • Family history of lung cancer

SYMPTOMS

  • A cough that does not go away or gets worse
    • Coughing up blood or rust-colored sputum (spit or phlegm)  
    • Chest pain that is often worse with deep breathing, coughing, or laughing
    • Hoarseness
    • Loss of appetite
    • Unexplained weight loss
    • Shortness of breath
    • Fatigue
    • Chronic infections (e.g., bronchitis)
    • New onset of wheezing

SCREENING

The American Cancer Society (ACS) recommends yearly lung cancer screening with low-dose CT scans for people who are 55 to 74 years old, are in fairly good health, and who also meet the following conditions:

  1. Currently smokes or quit smoking within the last 15 years AND
  2. Currently or previously had a 30 pack-year smoking history (i.e., number of years you smoked multiplied by the number of packs of cigarettes per day) AND
  3. Receives counseling to quit smoking, if a current smoker AND
  4. Has been told by their doctor about the possible benefits, limits, and harms of screening with LDCT scans AND
  5. Has a facility where they can go that has experience in lung cancer screening and treatment.

TREATMENT

Based on type and stage of cancer, treatment may include:

  • Surgery to remove part or all of lung (alone for early stage)
    • Radiation and/or chemotherapy + surgery (more advanced stages)
    • Targeted therapies and/or immunotherapy + surgery +/- chemotherapy and/or radiation (advanced stage)

COLORECTAL

RISK FACTORS

• Strong family history of colorectal cancer or certain types of polyps

• Personal history of colorectal cancer or certain types of polyps

• Personal history of inflammatory bowel disease (e.g., ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease) • Known family history of a hereditary colorectal cancer syndrome (e.g., familial adenomatous polyposis, Lynch syndrome)
• Personal history of radiation to the abdomen or pelvic area to treat a prior cancer
• Personal history of known or suspected certain genetic syndromes
• Diet (high in saturated fats and cholesterol) • Lack of physical exercise

SYMPTOMS

  • A change in bowel habits (e.g., diarrhea, constipation, narrowing of the stool) that lasts for more than a few days
  • A feeling that you need to have a bowel movement that is not relieved by doing so
  • Rectal bleeding
  • Dark stools, or blood in the stool
  • Cramping or abdominal pain
  • Weakness and fatigue
  • Unintended weight loss

SCREENING

  • Start regular screening at age 45, and until age 75 if in good health with life expectancy >10 years, continue regular screening through age 75.
  • Ages 76–85, screening decision based
    on person’s preferences, life expectancy, overall health, and prior screening history.
  • Age >85 should no longer get colorectal cancer screening
  • If at high risk, the American Cancer Society suggests consulting with your physician on whether screening should start before age 45 or be done more often, and/or whether to undergo specific tests

TREATMENT

Treatment for cancers of the colon and rectum varies by tumor location, characteristics, and stage.

• Surgery: local tumor excision or destruction (early stage); colectomy—removal of all or part of the colon (more advanced stages); proctectomy—removal of the rectum (more advanced stages); and proctectomy- removal of the rectum and all or part of the colon (advanced stage)

• Chemotherapy + surgery (more advanced stages)

• Radiation alone or with chemotherapy + surgery (more advanced stages)

MELANOMA

RISK FACTORS

• Ultraviolet (UV) light exposure

• Numerous moles
• Fair skin, freckling, and light hair
• Family history of melanoma
• Personal history of melanoma or other skin cancers

• Weakened immune system • Age (older)
• Sex (male)
• Xeroderma pigmentosum

SYMPTOMS

• Unusual moles, sores, lumps, blemishes, markings, or changes in the way an area of the skin looks or feels

• A new spot on the skin or a spot that is changing in size, shape, or color.

• A spot that looks different from all of the other spots on your skin

SCREENING

• Regular self exams
• Regular examinations by a healthcare professional
• Total body photography or mole mapping (to monitor changes, if recommended)

TREATMENT

  • Surgery (removal of cancerous tissue (Stages I–IV)
  • Adjuvant therapy with interferon (Stage III) for about a year
  • Immunotherapy and/or targeted therapy drugs (Stage IV)
  • Chemotherapy alone or with radiation (Stage IV)

PROSTATE

RISK FACTORS

•Age (≥50 years)

•Race (African-American or Caribbean with African ancestry)

•Family history of prostate cancer

• Inherited mutations of the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes)

• Lynch syndrome
• Diet (high in red meat, fat, dairy) • Obesity
• Smoking

• Inflammation of the prostate
• Sexually transmitted infections • Vasectomy

SYMPTOMS

• Problems urinating (e.g., slow or weak urinary stream, the need to urinate more often, especially at night)

• Blood in the urine or semen
• Trouble getting an erection
• Pain in the hips, back (spine), chest (ribs), or other areas from cancer that has spread to bones
• Weakness or numbness in the legs or feet, or even loss of bladder or bowel control (due to cancer pressing on the spinal cord)

SCREENING

• Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test; possibly also digital rectal exam. Please note: Men should not be screened unless they have been informed about the uncertainties, risks, and potential benefits of prostate cancer screening. Criteria for screening, if deemed appropriate, are:

• Age 50 for men who are at average risk of prostate cancer and are expected to live at least 10 more years.

• Age 45 for men at high risk of developing prostate cancer

• Age 40 for men at even higher risk (those with more than one first-degree relative who had prostate cancer at an early age).

TREATMENT

• Active surveillance alone (early stage)
• Radiation therapy (more advanced stages) • Radical prostatectomy—removal of the  prostate along with nearby tissues—with or without radiation (advanced stages)
• Hormonal androgen deprivation therapy + surgery +/- radiation (advanced stages)

THYROID

RISK FACTORS

• Sex (female)
• Age (middle to late)
• Certain hereditary condition(s) (e.g., medullary thyroid cancer, other thyroid cancers, familial adenomatous polyposis Cowden disease, Carney complex, Type I, familial nonmedullary thyroid carcinoma

  • Family history of thyroid cancer
  • Exposure to radiation
  • Overweight or obesity
  • Diet (high levels of iodine)

SYMPTOMS

  • A lump in the neck, sometimes growing
    • Swelling in the neck
    • Pain in the front of the neck, sometimes going up to the ears
    • Hoarseness or other voice changes that do not go away
    • Trouble swallowing
    • Trouble breathing
    • A constant cough that is not due to a cold

SCREENING

  • Most thyroid cancers are found much earlier than in the past and can be treated successfully
    • Most early thyroid cancers are found when individuals see their doctors for neck lumps or nodules or when they have imaging tests for other health problems

TREATMENT

  • Surgery: total or partial thyroidectomy (in most cases)
    • Thyroid hormonal replacement therapy (all cases)
    • Postsurgery radioactive iodine (in some cases)
    • Targeted drugs or chemotherapy (in some cases)

Urinary Bladder

RISK FACTORS

• Smoking
• Workplace exposures (chemicals)

• Use of the diabetes medicine pioglitazone (Actos®)

• Dietary supplements containing aristolochic acid

• Arsenic in drinking water

• Dehydration

• Race (Caucasian)
• Age (>55 years)
• Sex (male)
• Chronic bladder irritation and infections
• Personal history of bladder or other urothelial cancer
• Bladder birth defects
• Genetics and family history
• Chemotherapy or radiation therapy

SYMPTOMS

• Blood in the urine
• Urinating more often than usual
• Pain or burning during urination
• Feeling as if you need to go right away, even when your bladder isn’t full
• Trouble urinating or having a weak urine stream
• Urinating many times during the night

• Unable to urinate
• Lower back pain on one side
• Loss of appetite and weight loss
• Fatigue
• Swelling in the feet
• Bone pain

SCREENING

Some providers may recommend bladder cancer tests for people at very high risk, such as:
• People who had bladder cancer before
• People who had certain birth defects of the bladder
• People exposed to certain chemicals at work

TREATMENT

• Surgery: transurethral resection (TURBT) with fulguration followed by intravesical therapy for early stage; Partial or complete cystectomy (removal of the bladder) for advanced stage

• Weekly intravesical bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) + surgery (advanced stage)

• Chemotherapy and/or radiation alone with or without surgery for advanced stage disease; used alone in people who cannot undergo surgery

• Immunotherapy and/or targeted therapy drugs + surgery +/- chemotherapy/radiation when cancer has spread to other parts in the body

UTERINE CORPUS

RISK FACTORS

Obesity
• Poor diet and lack of exercise
• Type 2 diabetes
• Things that affect hormone levels (e.g., estrogen after menopause, birth control pills, tamoxifen)

  • Older age
  • Late menopause
  • Never giving birth
  • Infertility
  • Certain ovarian tumors
  • Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)
  • Use of an intrauterine device (IUD)
  • Family history of endometrial or colorectal cancer
  • Personal history of breast or ovarian cancer or endometrial hyperplasia
  • Hereditary nonpolyposis colon cancer (HNPCC, or Lynch syndrome)
  • Previous treatment with radiation therapy to the pelvis to treat another cancer

SYMPTOMS

  • Unusual vaginal bleeding, spotting, or other discharge
  • Pelvic pain, a mass, and weight loss

 SCREENING

  • Regular pelvic exams (possibly)
    • For those at increased risk:

-Genetic counseling
-Annual testing for endometrial cancer with endometrial biopsy starting at age 35

TREATMENT

  • Surgery (hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo- oophorectomy (removal of ovaries and fallopian tubes) (Stages I and II)
    • Radiation and/or chemotherapy + surgery (Stages I and II w/high risk disease; Stages III or IV [advanced])
    • Hormonal therapy (in some cases)

SOURCE: Adapted from American Cancer Society site. Cancer A to Z. https://www.cancer.org/ cancer.html. Accessed 24 Feb 2020. NHR

Who’s most at risk? What are the symptoms?
Can it be screened for early identification? How is it treated?

FEMALE BREAST CANCER

RISK FACTORS

  • Alcohol consumption
  • Overweight or obesity
  • Lack of physical activity
  • No pregnancies to birth
  • No breastfeeding
  • Hormonal birth control (e.g., oral contraceptives) or hormone therapy (i.e., for menopause)
  • Breast implants

SYMPTOMS

  • A new lump or mass
  • Swelling of all or part of a breast (even if no lump is felt)
  • Skin dimpling (e.g., orange peel)
  • Nipple retraction (turning inward)
  • Nipple or breast skin that is red, dry, flaking or thickened
  • Nipple discharge (other than breast milk
  • Swollen lymph nodes

SCREENING

  • Self-exam
  • Regular mammograms—Most women should start getting annual mammograms at 40–44 years of age; every other year for women who are ≥55 years and in good health; women at high risk should get breast MRI and mammogram annually starting at age 30

TREATMENT

Breast cancer treatment can vary depending on the type and stage of cancer. Generally, treatment may include the following:

  • Breast-conserving surgery (BCS) (partial mastectomy or lumpectomy) or mastectomy (sometimes surgery alone is sufficient in early stages)
  • Radiation + surgery (Stages I–II)
  • Neoadjuvant (before surgery) and adjuvant (after surgery) systemic therapy (chemo and other drugs) +/- surgery +/- radiation +/- hormone therapy (Stages I–II)
  • Neoadjuvant therapy followed by BCS or mastectomy + radiation + hormone therapy
    (Stages III)

LEUKEMIA AND LYMPHOMA

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is the most common form of leukemia; there are two major types of lymphomas: Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) and non-Hogdkin lymphoma (NHL)

RISK FACTORS

NHL

  • Age (≥60 years)
  • Sex (male)
  • Race (Caucasian)
  • Family history of NHL
  • Exposure to certain chemicals or drugs (e.g., benzene, certain herbicides and insecticides, chemotherapy drugs, methotrexate, and the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors
  • Exposure to radiation
  • Weakened immune system
  •  Autoimmune diseases (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis, celiac)
  • Certain viral infections (e.g., human T-cell lymphotropic virus, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), Human herpes virus 8 (HHV-8), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis C virus (HCV)
  •  Certain bacterial infections (e.g., Helicobacter pylori, Chlamydophila psittaci, Campylobacter jejuni
  • Overweight or obesity
  • Diet high in fats and meats

AML

  • Age (older)
  • Sex (male)
  • Smoking
  • Family history of NHL
  • Family history of AML
  • Exposure to radiation
  • Chronic myeloproliferative disorders (e.g., polycythemia vera, essential thrombocythemia, idiopathic myelofibrosis)
  • Genetic syndrome (e.g., Ataxia- telangiectasia, Neurofibromatosis type 1, Severe congenital neutropenia, Down, Trisomy 8 (being born with an extra copy of chromosome 8)

SYMPTOMS

NHL

  • Enlarged lymph nodes
  • Chills
  • Weight loss
  • Fatigue
  • Swollen abdomen
  • Feeling full after only a small amount of food
  • Chest pain or pressure
  • Shortness of breath or cough
  • Severe or frequent infections
  • Easy bruising or bleeding
  • Itchy, red or purple lumps or bumps under the skin
  • Neurological symptoms such as headache, trouble thinking
  • Fever (which can come and go over several days or weeks) without an infection
  • Night sweats
  • Unintentional weight loss

AML

  • Weight loss
    • Fatigue
    • Fever
    • Night sweats
    • Loss of appetite
    • Vomiting
    • Fatigue
    • Weakness
    • Feeling cold
    • Pale skin
    • Shortness of breath
    • Frequent Infections
    • Excess bleeding (e.g., bruising, frequent or severe nosebleeds, bleeding gums,
    • Neurological symptoms(e.g., headache, slurred speech, confusion)
    • Bone or joint pain

S• welling in the abdomen

  • Skin rashes
    • Enlarged lymph nodes

SCREENING

• No screening tests have been found that lower risks

TREATMENT

  • AML: Chemotherapy
    • NHL: Chemotherapy alone or with radiation therapy (radiation is rarely used alone); targeted and immunotherapy drugs in some

LUNG

RISK FACTORS

  •  Smoking or exposure to secondhand smoke
    • Exposure to radon, asbestos, radioactive ores, or other known cancer-causing agents (e.g., arsenic, beryllium)
    • Exposure to diesel exhaust and/or air pollution • Taking beta carotene supplements if a smoker
    • Arsenic in drinking water
    • History of radiation therapy to the lungs
    • Family history of lung cancer

SYMPTOMS

  • A cough that does not go away or gets worse
    • Coughing up blood or rust-colored sputum (spit or phlegm)  
    • Chest pain that is often worse with deep breathing, coughing, or laughing
    • Hoarseness
    • Loss of appetite
    • Unexplained weight loss
    • Shortness of breath
    • Fatigue
    • Chronic infections (e.g., bronchitis)
    • New onset of wheezing

SCREENING

The American Cancer Society (ACS) recommends yearly lung cancer screening with low-dose CT scans for people who are 55 to 74 years old, are in fairly good health, and who also meet the following conditions:

  1. Currently smokes or quit smoking within the last 15 years AND
  2. Currently or previously had a 30 pack-year smoking history (i.e., number of years you smoked multiplied by the number of packs of cigarettes per day) AND
  3. Receives counseling to quit smoking, if a current smoker AND
  4. Has been told by their doctor about the possible benefits, limits, and harms of screening with LDCT scans AND
  5. Has a facility where they can go that has experience in lung cancer screening and treatment.

TREATMENT

Based on type and stage of cancer, treatment may include:

  • Surgery to remove part or all of lung (alone for early stage)
    • Radiation and/or chemotherapy + surgery (more advanced stages)
    • Targeted therapies and/or immunotherapy + surgery +/- chemotherapy and/or radiation (advanced stage)

COLORECTAL

RISK FACTORS

• Strong family history of colorectal cancer or certain types of polyps

• Personal history of colorectal cancer or certain types of polyps

• Personal history of inflammatory bowel disease (e.g., ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease) • Known family history of a hereditary colorectal cancer syndrome (e.g., familial adenomatous polyposis, Lynch syndrome)
• Personal history of radiation to the abdomen or pelvic area to treat a prior cancer
• Personal history of known or suspected certain genetic syndromes
• Diet (high in saturated fats and cholesterol) • Lack of physical exercise

SYMPTOMS

  • A change in bowel habits (e.g., diarrhea, constipation, narrowing of the stool) that lasts for more than a few days
  • A feeling that you need to have a bowel movement that is not relieved by doing so
  • Rectal bleeding
  • Dark stools, or blood in the stool
  • Cramping or abdominal pain
  • Weakness and fatigue
  • Unintended weight loss

SCREENING

  • Start regular screening at age 45, and until age 75 if in good health with life expectancy >10 years, continue regular screening through age 75.
  • Ages 76–85, screening decision based
    on person’s preferences, life expectancy, overall health, and prior screening history.
  • Age >85 should no longer get colorectal cancer screening
  • If at high risk, the American Cancer Society suggests consulting with your physician on whether screening should start before age 45 or be done more often, and/or whether to undergo specific tests

TREATMENT

Treatment for cancers of the colon and rectum varies by tumor location, characteristics, and stage.

• Surgery: local tumor excision or destruction (early stage); colectomy—removal of all or part of the colon (more advanced stages); proctectomy—removal of the rectum (more advanced stages); and proctectomy- removal of the rectum and all or part of the colon (advanced stage)

• Chemotherapy + surgery (more advanced stages)

• Radiation alone or with chemotherapy + surgery (more advanced stages)

MELANOMA

RISK FACTORS

• Ultraviolet (UV) light exposure

• Numerous moles
• Fair skin, freckling, and light hair
• Family history of melanoma
• Personal history of melanoma or other skin cancers

• Weakened immune system • Age (older)
• Sex (male)
• Xeroderma pigmentosum

SYMPTOMS

• Unusual moles, sores, lumps, blemishes, markings, or changes in the way an area of the skin looks or feels

• A new spot on the skin or a spot that is changing in size, shape, or color.

• A spot that looks different from all of the other spots on your skin

SCREENING

• Regular self exams
• Regular examinations by a healthcare professional
• Total body photography or mole mapping (to monitor changes, if recommended)

TREATMENT

  • Surgery (removal of cancerous tissue (Stages I–IV)
  • Adjuvant therapy with interferon (Stage III) for about a year
  • Immunotherapy and/or targeted therapy drugs (Stage IV)
  • Chemotherapy alone or with radiation (Stage IV)

PROSTATE

RISK FACTORS

•Age (≥50 years)

•Race (African-American or Caribbean with African ancestry)

•Family history of prostate cancer

• Inherited mutations of the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes)

• Lynch syndrome
• Diet (high in red meat, fat, dairy) • Obesity
• Smoking

• Inflammation of the prostate
• Sexually transmitted infections • Vasectomy

SYMPTOMS

• Problems urinating (e.g., slow or weak urinary stream, the need to urinate more often, especially at night)

• Blood in the urine or semen
• Trouble getting an erection
• Pain in the hips, back (spine), chest (ribs), or other areas from cancer that has spread to bones
• Weakness or numbness in the legs or feet, or even loss of bladder or bowel control (due to cancer pressing on the spinal cord)

SCREENING

• Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test; possibly also digital rectal exam. Please note: Men should not be screened unless they have been informed about the uncertainties, risks, and potential benefits of prostate cancer screening. Criteria for screening, if deemed appropriate, are:

• Age 50 for men who are at average risk of prostate cancer and are expected to live at least 10 more years.

• Age 45 for men at high risk of developing prostate cancer

• Age 40 for men at even higher risk (those with more than one first-degree relative who had prostate cancer at an early age).

TREATMENT

• Active surveillance alone (early stage)
• Radiation therapy (more advanced stages) • Radical prostatectomy—removal of the  prostate along with nearby tissues—with or without radiation (advanced stages)
• Hormonal androgen deprivation therapy + surgery +/- radiation (advanced stages)

THYROID

RISK FACTORS

• Sex (female)
• Age (middle to late)
• Certain hereditary condition(s) (e.g., medullary thyroid cancer, other thyroid cancers, familial adenomatous polyposis Cowden disease, Carney complex, Type I, familial nonmedullary thyroid carcinoma

  • Family history of thyroid cancer
  • Exposure to radiation
  • Overweight or obesity
  • Diet (high levels of iodine)

SYMPTOMS

  • A lump in the neck, sometimes growing
    • Swelling in the neck
    • Pain in the front of the neck, sometimes going up to the ears
    • Hoarseness or other voice changes that do not go away
    • Trouble swallowing
    • Trouble breathing
    • A constant cough that is not due to a cold

SCREENING

  • Most thyroid cancers are found much earlier than in the past and can be treated successfully
    • Most early thyroid cancers are found when individuals see their doctors for neck lumps or nodules or when they have imaging tests for other health problems

TREATMENT

  • Surgery: total or partial thyroidectomy (in most cases)
    • Thyroid hormonal replacement therapy (all cases)
    • Postsurgery radioactive iodine (in some cases)
    • Targeted drugs or chemotherapy (in some cases)

Urinary Bladder

RISK FACTORS

• Smoking
• Workplace exposures (chemicals)

• Use of the diabetes medicine pioglitazone (Actos®)

• Dietary supplements containing aristolochic acid

• Arsenic in drinking water

• Dehydration

• Race (Caucasian)
• Age (>55 years)
• Sex (male)
• Chronic bladder irritation and infections
• Personal history of bladder or other urothelial cancer
• Bladder birth defects
• Genetics and family history
• Chemotherapy or radiation therapy

SYMPTOMS

• Blood in the urine
• Urinating more often than usual
• Pain or burning during urination
• Feeling as if you need to go right away, even when your bladder isn’t full
• Trouble urinating or having a weak urine stream
• Urinating many times during the night

• Unable to urinate
• Lower back pain on one side
• Loss of appetite and weight loss
• Fatigue
• Swelling in the feet
• Bone pain

SCREENING

Some providers may recommend bladder cancer tests for people at very high risk, such as:
• People who had bladder cancer before
• People who had certain birth defects of the bladder
• People exposed to certain chemicals at work

TREATMENT

• Surgery: transurethral resection (TURBT) with fulguration followed by intravesical therapy for early stage; Partial or complete cystectomy (removal of the bladder) for advanced stage

• Weekly intravesical bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) + surgery (advanced stage)

• Chemotherapy and/or radiation alone with or without surgery for advanced stage disease; used alone in people who cannot undergo surgery

• Immunotherapy and/or targeted therapy drugs + surgery +/- chemotherapy/radiation when cancer has spread to other parts in the body

UTERINE CORPUS

RISK FACTORS

Obesity
• Poor diet and lack of exercise
• Type 2 diabetes
• Things that affect hormone levels (e.g., estrogen after menopause, birth control pills, tamoxifen)

  • Older age
  • Late menopause
  • Never giving birth
  • Infertility
  • Certain ovarian tumors
  • Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)
  • Use of an intrauterine device (IUD)
  • Family history of endometrial or colorectal cancer
  • Personal history of breast or ovarian cancer or endometrial hyperplasia
  • Hereditary nonpolyposis colon cancer (HNPCC, or Lynch syndrome)
  • Previous treatment with radiation therapy to the pelvis to treat another cancer

SYMPTOMS

  • Unusual vaginal bleeding, spotting, or other discharge
  • Pelvic pain, a mass, and weight loss

 SCREENING

  • Regular pelvic exams (possibly)
    • For those at increased risk:

-Genetic counseling
-Annual testing for endometrial cancer with endometrial biopsy starting at age 35

TREATMENT

  • Surgery (hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo- oophorectomy (removal of ovaries and fallopian tubes) (Stages I and II)
    • Radiation and/or chemotherapy + surgery (Stages I and II w/high risk disease; Stages III or IV [advanced])
    • Hormonal therapy (in some cases)

SOURCE: Adapted from American Cancer Society site. Cancer A to Z. https://www.cancer.org/ cancer.html. Accessed 24 Feb 2020. NHR

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