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What Is Cancer
What is Cancer?Cancer occurs when an uncontrolled growth of cells emerges in place of normal cells, these cells begin to divide more rapidly and abnormally and form a mass of tissue called a growth or tumor. (3, 7) 2 Types of Tumors Benign (not cancer) Malignant (cancer)Harmful to life: No YesInvade surrounding tissue: No YesSpread to other parts of the body: No YesShould remove the tumor: Yes YesWhat are the most common cancers that can affect you? (3)•Lung •Colorectal•Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma •Female Breast•Prostate •Urinary Bladder •Kidney and Renal Pelvis •Liver •Ovarian •Uterine Three ways cancer spreads in the body: (10) • Tissue - Cancer invades the surrounding normal tissue. • Lymph system - Cancer invades the lymph system and travels through the lymph vessels to other places in the body. • Blood - Cancer invades the veins and capillaries and travels through the blood to other places in the body.Metastasis: When cancer cells break away from the primary (original) tumor and travel through the lymph or blood to other places in the body where a secondary tumor could form. The secondary tumor is the same type of cancer as the primary tumor. For example: If breast cancer spreads to the bones, the cancer cells in the bones are actually breast cancer cells. The disease is metastatic breast cancer- not bone cancer.
Cancer and AI-AN
Cancer and AI/ANLung CancerLung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among American Indian/Alaska Natives (AI/AN). Lung cancer rates are highest in Alaska and the Northern and Southern Plains, and the lowest in the Southwest. (1)Smoking RatesAI/AN smoking rates are the highest in Alaska (45.1%) and the North Plains (44.2%) and lowest in the Southwest (17.0%). (1 )Cigarette smoking among AI/AN women has risen to 44.3 % and greatly outnumbers all other ethnic groups. (1)AI/AN high school seniors have the highest smoking rates (males, 41.1%; females, 39.4%) compared with all other ethnic groups. (1)
Lung Cancer
Lung CancerLung cancer is one of the most common types of cancer. It starts as a pre-cancerous tumor and over many years the tumor grows into true cancer. As a cancer develops, and forms new blood vessels to nourish the cancer cells. Lung cancer develops when malignant cancer cells form a tumor in the lung. (2) There are 2 main types of lung cancer: non-small cell lung cancer and small cell lung cancer. The two types grow, spread, and are treated differently. (2, 3, 5, 6, 10) Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for 80% of lung cancersSmall cell lung cancer (SCLC) accounts for the remaining 20%
Signs of Lung Cancer
Signs of Lung CancerSee a doctor if you notice any of these symptoms:• cough that does not go away and gets worse over time • coughing up blood• constant chest pain• shortness of breath, wheezing• change in voice (hoarseness)• weight loss and loss of appetite• fever with an unknown reason• frequent lung infections, such as pneumonia or bronchitis• fatigue and weight loss with no known cause
Risk Factors
Cancer Risk FactorsThere are many risk factors for cancer, some include:Tobacco smoke contains harmful substances that can damage your healthy lung cells. Smoking cigarettes, pipes, or cigars can cause lung cancer. Second hand smoke and environmental smoke can cause lung cancer in non-smokers. (7)Cigarette smoking is the most important risk factor for lung cancer. (3, 4, 5)90 % of lung cancer deaths in males in the United States are caused by smoking.75%-80% of lung cancer deaths in females in the United States are caused by smoking. Lung cancer deaths accounted for more deaths than breast, colon, and prostate cancer combined.The risk increases with the more cigarettes you smoke and the longer you smoke. The air we breathe, the work we do, and the habits we form all have the ability to make us sick with cancer and other respiratory diseases. They have the ability to shorten our lives.Family history or personal history: (3, 7)You might be at increased risk of lung cancer if your father, mother, brother, or sister had lung cancer. If you have had lung cancer, you might be at increased risk of developing a second lung tumor. Radon is a cancer causing radioactive gas that you cannot see, smell, or taste. (2,7)Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in America; it kills about 20,000 people per year. You can be exposed to radon if you work in mines or if it is found in your home. Asbestos and other metals such as arsenic and cadmium are risk factors for cancer. If you work in the construction or chemical industry, you could be exposed. (7)Uranium exposure through mining has been considered a risk factor for lung cancer for American Indian men residing and working in the mines of Arizona and New Mexico. (4, 8)
Treatment-Survival-Support
TREATMENT-SURVIVAL-SUPPORTTreatment depends on the type and stage of lung cancer. The following are the most common types of treatment: (6)Surgery- removal of cancerous tissueRadiation- uses high-energy rays to kill cancer cells and stops them from spreading Chemotherapy- drugs that kill cancer cellsTargeted therapy- drugs that attack specific cancer cellsSurvival (2)The 5-year survival rate is 16% including all stages of lung cancer.Support (7, 9)1-800-4 CANCER LungCancer.orgNational Cancer Institute- Live Help
References
1. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Tobacco Use Among U.S. Racial/Ethnic Minority Groups African Americans, American Indians and Alaska Natives, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, and Hispanics: A Report of the Surgeon General; 1998.2. Lungcancer.org a program of CancerCare. Get Help. 2010; http://www.lungcancer.org/get_help/ Accessed June 16, 2010.3. ACS. Cancer Facts and Figures 2009. Atlanta: American Cancer Society; 2009.4. Bliss A, Cobb N, Solomon T, Cravatt K, Jim MA, Marshall L, Campbell J. Lung cancer incidence among American Indians and Alaska Natives in the United States, 1999-2004. Cancer. 2008 Sep 1;113(5 Suppl):1168-785. ACS. Lung Cancer. Atlanta: American Cancer Society; 2009.6. National Cancer Institute. Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Treatment. 2010; http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/non-small-cell-lung/Patient/page42010. Accessed June 16, 2010.7. NIH. What do you need to know about lung cancer? National Cancer Institutehttp://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/wyntk/lung/page3. Accessed June 16, 2010.8. Gilliland FD, Hunt WC, Pardilla M, Key CR. Uranium mining and lung cancer among Navajo men in New Mexico and Arizona, 1969 to 1993. J Occup Environ Med. 2000 Mar;42(3):278-83.9. Lungcancer.org. A program of CancerCare. http://www.lungcancer.org/about/ 10. NIC. Small Cell Lung Cancer. Bethesda, MD, National Cancer Institute; 2009. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/small-cell-lung
What is Cancer?Cancer occurs when normal healthy cells stop growing, dividing, and replacing the old or damaged cells. At this time, an uncontrolled growth of cells takes place which forms a mass of tissue called a growth or tumor. (3, 7)Tumor cells can be benign (not cancer) or malignant (cancer). (7) What are the most common cancers that can affect you? (3)•Lung •Ovarian •Prostate •Liver •Colorectal •Female Breast •Uterine •Urinary Bladder •Kidney and Renal Pelvis •Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma There are three ways that cancer spreads in the body. (10) • Tissue - Cancer invades the surrounding normal tissue. • Lymph system - Cancer invades the lymph system and travels through the lymph vessels to other places in the body. • Blood - Cancer invades the veins and capillaries and travels through the blood to other places in the body.When cancer cells break away from the primary (original) tumor and travel through the lymph or blood to other places in the body, another (secondary) tumor may form. This process is called metastasis. The secondary (metastatic) tumor is the same type of cancer as the primary tumor. For example, if breast cancer spreads to the bones, the cancer cells in the bones are actually breast cancer cells. The disease is metastatic breast cancer, not bone cancer.
What Is Cancer
Cancer and AI-AN
Lung Cancer
Signs of Lung Cancer
Risk Factors
Treatment-Survival-Support
References
Test Your Cancer Knowledge
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2nd Hand Smoke
Asthma
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