What Are the Risk Factors for Breast Cancer?

• Risk factors that you can change such as:
  • Not being physically active. Women who are not physically active have a higher risk of getting breast cancer.
  • Being overweight or obese after menopause. Older women who are overweight or obese have a higher risk of getting breast cancer than those at a normal weight.
  • Taking hormones. Some forms of hormone replacement therapy (those that include both estrogen and progesterone) taken during menopause can raise risk for breast cancer when taken for more than five years. Certain oral contraceptives (birth control pills) also have been found to raise breast cancer risk.
  • Reproductive history. Having the first pregnancy after age 30, not breastfeeding, and never having a full-term pregnancy can raise breast cancer risk.
  • Drinking alcohol. Studies show that a woman’s risk for breast cancer increases with the more alcohol she drinks.
• Risk factors that you cannot change such as:
  • Getting older. The risk for breast cancer increases with age; most breast cancers are diagnosed after age 50.
  • Reproductive history. Early menstrual periods before age 12 and starting menopause after age 55 expose women to hormones longer, raising their risk of getting breast cancer.
  • Having dense breasts. Dense breasts have more connective tissue than fatty tissue, which can sometimes make it hard to see tumors on a mammogram. Women with dense breasts are more likely to get breast cancer.
  • Personal history of breast cancer or certain non-cancerous breast diseases. Women who have had breast cancer are more likely to get breast cancer a second time.
  • Family history of breast or ovarian cancer.
  • Previous treatment using radiation therapy. Women who had radiation therapy to the chest or breasts (like for treatment of Hodgkin’s lymphoma) before age 30 have a higher risk of getting breast cancer later in life.

What Are the Symptoms of Breast Cancer?

• Different people have different symptoms of breast cancer. Some people do not have any signs or symptoms at all.
• Some warning signs of breast cancer are:
  • New lump in the breast or underarm (armpit).
  • Thickening or swelling of part of the breast.
  • Irritation or dimpling of breast skin.
  • Redness or flaky skin in the nipple area or the breast.
  • Pulling in of the nipple or pain in the nipple area.
  • Nipple discharge other than breast milk, including blood.
  • Any change in the size or the shape of the breast.
  • Pain in any area of the breast.

How can you lower your risks?

• Keep a healthy weight.
• Exercise regularly.
• Don’t drink alcohol, or limit alcoholic drinks.
• Breastfeeding your children, if possible.

Diagnosis

• Screening tests:
  • Mammogram
  • MRI
• Other type of screening:
  • Clinical breast exam: A clinical breast exam is an examination by a doctor or nurse, who uses his or her hands to feel for lumps or other changes
  • Breast self-awareness: Being familiar with how your breasts look and feel can help you notice symptoms such as lumps, pain, or changes in size that may be of concern.

Types of Treatment

• Breast cancer is treated in several ways. It depends on the kind of breast cancer and how far it has spread. People with breast cancer often get more than one kind of treatment.
  • Surgery. An operation where doctors cut out cancer tissue.
  • Chemotherapy. Using special medicines to shrink or kill the cancer cells. The drugs can be pills you take or medicines given in your veins, or sometimes both.
  • Hormonal therapy. Blocks cancer cells from getting the hormones they need to grow.
  • Biological therapy. Works with your body’s immune system to help it fight cancer cells or to control side effects from other cancer treatments.
  • Radiation therapy. Using high-energy rays (similar to X-rays) to kill the cancer cells.

What Are the Risk Factors for Colorectal Cancer?

• Your risk of getting colorectal cancer increases as you get older. About 90% of cases occur in people who are 50 years old or older. Other risk factors include:
  • Inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis.
  • A personal or family history of colorectal cancer or colorectal polyps.
  • A genetic syndrome
• Lifestyle factors: lifestyle factors that may contribute to an increased risk of colorectal cancer include:
  • Lack of regular physical activity.
  • A diet low in fruit and vegetables.
  • A low-fiber and high-fat diet, or a diet high in processed meats.
  • Overweight and obesity.
  • Alcohol consumption.
  • Tobacco use.

What Are the Symptoms of Colorectal Cancer?

• Colorectal polyps and colorectal cancer don’t always cause symptoms, especially at first. Someone could have polyps or colorectal cancer and not know it. That is why getting screened regularly for colorectal cancer is so important.
  
  If you have symptoms, they may include:
  • Blood in or on your stool (bowel movement).
  • Stomach pain, aches, or cramps that don’t go away.
  • Losing weight and you don’t know why.

How can you lower your risks?

• Overall, the most effective way to reduce your risk of colorectal cancer is to get screened for colorectal cancer routinely, beginning at age 50.
• Diet: Research is underway to find out if changes to your diet can reduce your colorectal cancer risk. Medical experts often recommend a diet low in animal fats and high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains to reduce the risk of other chronic diseases, such as coronary artery disease and diabetes. This diet also may reduce the risk of colorectal cancer.
• Healthy Choices: Some studies suggest that people may reduce their risk of developing colorectal cancer by increasing physical activity, limiting alcohol consumption, and avoiding tobcoo.

Diagnosis

• A screening test is used to look for a disease when a person doesn’t have symptoms. (When a person has symptoms, diagnostic tests are used to find out the cause of the symptoms.)

Types of Treatment

• Treatment options and recommendations depend on several factors, including the type and stage of cancer, possible side effects, and the patient’s preferences and overall health. The following are types of treatment for colon cancer:
  • Surgery. An operation where doctors cut out cancer tissue.
  • Chemotherapy. Using special medicines to shrink or kill the cancer. The drugs can be pills you take or medicines given in your veins, or sometimes both.
  • Radiation therapy. Using high-energy rays (similar to X-rays) to kill the cancer.
  • Targeted therapy. Using drugs to block the growth and spread of cancer cells. The drugs can be pills you take or medicines given in your veins.

What Are the Risk Factors for Leukemia Cancer?

• Smoking.
• Family History.
• Being exposed to chemicals
• Medical history such as previous cancer treatment

What Are the Symptoms of Leukemia Cancer?

• Some of the warning signs of leukemia include:
  • Fever, chills and other flu-like symptoms
  • Weakness and fatigue
  • Frequent infections
  • Loss of appetite
  • Weight loss
  • Swollen or tender lymph nodes, liver or spleen
  • Easy bleeding or bruising
  • Tiny red spots under the skin
  • Swollen or bleeding gums
  • Sweating, especially at night
  • Bone or joint pain
  • Anemia

How can you lower your risks?

• There is currently no known way to prevent most types of leukemia, especially among children. However, the following factors have been found to contribute to leukemia:
  • Avoiding Smoking
  • Avoiding chemicals

Diagnosis

• Your health care provider may do one or more of the following procedures to determine if you have leukemia:
  • Complete medical history
  • Physical exam
  • Blood tests
  • Imaging tests such as x-rays, ultrasound, CT scan, MRI, bone scan
  • Bone marrow biopsy
  • Surgical lymph node biopsy
  • Lumbar puncture

Types of Treatment

• The main type of treatment for leukemia is chemotherapy. This may be used alone or in combination with:
  • Bone marrow transplants
  • Radiation therapy
  • Interferon therapy (immunotherapy)
  • Surgery-splenectomy (removal of the spleen)
• The treatment plan chosen is based on the type of leukemia, the patient's age, white blood cell count, genetics of the cancer, and whether or not there was a pre-leukemic condition or a previously treated cancer.

What Are the Risk Factors for Lung Cancer?

• Smoking:
  • Cigarette smoking is the number one risk factor for lung cancer. People who smoke cigarettes are 15 to 30 times more likely to get lung cancer or die from lung cancer than people who do not smoke. Even smoking a few cigarettes, a day or smoking occasionally increases the risk of lung cancer. The more years a person smokes and the more cigarettes smoked each day; the more risk goes up.
  • People who quit smoking have a lower risk of lung cancer than if they had continued to smoke, but their risk is higher than the risk for people who never smoked. Quitting smoking at any age can lower the risk of lung cancer.
• Secondhand smoking:
  • Smoke from other people’s cigarettes, pipes, or cigars (secondhand smoking) also causes lung cancer. When a person breathes in secondhand smoke, it is like he or she is smoking.
• Radon:
  • Radon is a naturally occurring gas that comes from rocks and dirt and can get trapped in houses and buildings. It cannot be seen, tasted, or smelled.

What Are the Symptoms of Lung Cancer?

• Different people have different symptoms of lung cancer. Some people have symptoms related to the lungs. Some people whose lung cancer has spread to other parts of the body (metastasized) have symptoms specific to that part of the body. Some people just have general symptoms of not feeling well. Most people with lung cancer don’t have symptoms until the cancer is advanced. Lung cancer symptoms may include:
  • Coughing that gets worse or doesn’t go away.
  • Chest pain.
  • Shortness of breath.
  • Wheezing.
  • Coughing up blood.
  • Feeling very tired all the time.
  • Weight loss with no known cause.

What Can I Do to Reduce My Risk of Lung Cancer?

• You can help lower your risk of lung cancer in the following ways:
  • Don’t smoke. Cigarette smoking causes about 80% to 90% of lung cancer deaths in the United States. The most important thing you can do to prevent lung cancer is to not start smoking, or to quit if you smoke.
  • Avoid secondhand smoke. Smoke from other people’s cigarettes, cigars, or pipes is called secondhand smoking. Make your home and car smoke-free.
  • Be careful at work. Health and safety guidelines in the workplace can help workers avoid carcinogens—things that can cause cancer.

Diagnosis

Types of Treatment

• Lung cancer is treated in several ways, depending on the type of lung cancer and how far it has spread. People with non-small cell lung cancer can be treated with surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, targeted therapy, or a combination of these treatments. People with small cell lung cancer are usually treated with radiation therapy and chemotherapy.
  • Surgery. An operation where doctors cut out cancer tissue.
  • Chemotherapy. Using special medicines to shrink or kill the cancer. The drugs can be pills you take or medicines given in your veins, or sometimes both.
  • Radiation therapy. Using high-energy rays (similar to X-rays) to kill the cancer.
  • Targeted therapy. Using drugs to block the growth and spread of cancer cells. The drugs can be pills you take or medicines given in your veins.
  • Complementary medicine: complementary medicine is used in addition to standard treatments. Examples include acupuncture, dietary supplements, massage therapy, hypnosis, and meditation.
  • Alternative medicine: alternative medicine is used instead of standard treatments. Examples include special diets, megadose vitamins, herbal preparations, special teas, and magnet therapy.

What Are the Risk Factors for Prostate Cancer?

• The most common risk factor is age. The older a man is, the greater the chance of getting prostate cancer.
• Family History: you may have an increased risk of getting a type of prostate cancer caused by genetic changes that are inherited if:
  • You have more than one first-degree relative (father, son, or brother) who had prostate cancer, including relatives in three generations on your mother’s or father’s side of the family.
  • You were diagnosed with prostate cancer when you were 55 years old or younger.
  • You were diagnosed with prostate cancer, and other members of your family have been diagnosed with breast, ovarian, or pancreatic cancer.

What Are the Symptoms of Thyroid Cancer?

• Different people have different symptoms of prostate cancer. Some men do not have symptoms at all.
• If you have any of the following symptoms, be sure to see your doctor right away:
  • Difficulty starting urination.
  • Weak or interrupted flow of urine.
  • Frequent urination, especially at night.
  • Difficulty emptying the bladder completely.
  • Pain or burning during urination.
  • Blood in the urine or semen.
  • Pain in the back, hips, or pelvis that doesn’t go away.
  • Painful ejaculation.
  
  **Keep in mind that these symptoms may be caused by conditions other than prostate cancer.

How can you lower your risks?

Diagnosis

• Your doctor may consider these factors when choosing a diagnostic test:
  • The type of cancer suspected
  • Your signs and symptoms
  • Your age and general health
  • The results of earlier medical tests
• Diagnosis options:
  • PSA: A blood test called a prostate specific antigen (PSA) test measures the level of PSA in the blood.
  • DRE: Digital rectal examination (DRE) is when a health care provider inserts a gloved, lubricated finger into a man’s rectum to feel the prostate for anything abnormal, such as cancer.

Types of Treatment

• Different types of treatment are available for prostate cancer. patients and their doctors will decide which treatment is right for the patient. Some common treatments are:
  • Active surveillance. Closely monitoring the prostate cancer by performing prostate specific antigen (PSA) and digital rectal exam (DRE) tests and prostate biopsies regularly and treating the cancer only if it grows or causes symptoms.
  • Surgery. A prostatectomy is an operation where doctors remove the prostate. Radical prostatectomy removes the prostate as well as the surrounding tissue.
  • Radiation therapy. Using high-energy rays (similar to X-rays) to kill the cancer.
  • Cryotherapy. Placing a special probe inside or near the prostate cancer to freeze and kill the cancer cells.
  • Chemotherapy. Using special drugs to shrink or kill the cancer. The drugs can be pills you take or medicines given through your veins, or, sometimes, both.
  • Hormone therapy. Blocks cancer cells from getting the hormones they need to grow.

What Are the Risk Factors for Thyroid Cancer?

• Scientists are not completely sure about what causes thyroid cancer, but some things that may make getting thyroid cancer more likely include:
  • Getting too much radiation around the neck area, especially when you are young.
  • Having certain genetic conditions inherited from parents.

What Are the Symptoms of Thyroid Cancer?

• A lump or swelling on the side of the neck is the most common symptom.
• Having trouble breathing.
• Having trouble swallowing.
• Having a hoarse voice.

How can you lower your risks?

• To lower the risk of thyroid cancer:
  • Avoid unnecessary exposure to radiation, including radiation from medical imaging procedures, especially in young children, and especially around the head and neck.

Diagnosis

• Your doctor may consider these factors when choosing a diagnostic test:
  • The type of cancer suspected
  • Your signs and symptoms
  • Your age and general health
  • The results of earlier medical tests
• Diagnosis options:
  • Physical examination.
  • Blood test.
  • Ultrasounds: uses sound waves to create a picture of the internal organs
  • Biopsy: is the removal of a small amount of tissue for examination under a microscope.
  • X-ray. An x-ray is a way to create a picture of the structures inside of the body, using a small amount of radiation. For instance, a chest x-ray can help doctors determine if the cancer has spread to the lungs.

Types of Treatment

• Treatment options and recommendations depend on several factors, including:
  • The type and stage of thyroid cancer
  • Possible side effects
  • The patient’s preferences
  • The patient’s general health

• Surgery. An operation where doctors cut out cancer tissue.
• Chemotherapy. Using special medicines to shrink or kill the cancer. The drugs can be pills you take or medicines
given in your veins, or sometimes both.
• Radiation therapy. Using high-energy rays (similar to X-rays) to kill the cancer.
• Targeted therapy. Using drugs to block the growth and spread of cancer cells. The drugs can be pills you take or medicines given in your veins.
• Hormone treatment: Patients who are treated with surgery usually require thyroid hormone therapy. In addition to replacing the hormone that is needed by the body, the thyroid hormone medication may slow down the growth of any remaining differentiated cancer cells.