Sally Dadisman, McClatchy-Tribune 
Whether it's your grandfather who developed lung cancer after smoking for 50 years or your mother who found a lump in her breast, chances are you know someone who has battled, or is still battling, cancer. White House press secretary Tony Snow announced his colon cancer has returned, days after Elizabeth Edwards, wife of former White House hopeful John Edwards, declared her battle with breast cancer was not over. The National Cancer Institute describes the disease as one "in which abnormal cells divide without control". Those cells can spread to nearby tissue, the bloodstream and other parts of the body. According to the American Cancer Society, about 1.4 million new cancer cases will be diagnosed in 2007. Here, we provide some basic information about the survivability, risk factors, screenings, treatments and resources related to cancer.
CANCER Q&A
How common is cancer?
Almost one in every two men and one in every three women in the United States will get some type of cancer at some point in his or her lifetime, according to the ACS. While young people are still susceptible to cancer, 77 per cent of cases occur in people 55 years or older. Also, the rates of cancer vary in different racial and ethnic groups.
How does someone get cancer?
According to the ACS, cancer is caused by damage to the DNA. This damage could be passed on through genetics or caused by human behavior, like tanning or smoking. In regular cells, the body is able to repair damaged DNA, but that is not the case for cancer cells, which, owing to their doubling, outlive normal cells.
Can it be prevented?
Some forms of cancer can be prevented. Activities such as alcohol consumption, smoking, increased exposure to sunlight and eating high-fat foods can all provide higher risk of cancer. According to the ACS, eating fruits and vegetables as well as getting screening tests are helpful preventative measures.
What are the symptoms?
There are specific symptoms accompanying each type of cancer, but there are more general ones as well. Unusual weight loss of 10 pounds or more, tiredness, fever and changes in skin tone can all be signs of cancer. Obviously, those who have one or all of these symptoms do not necessarily have cancer, but they are important early warning signs.
RISK FACTORS
It's no surprise that smoking a pack a day puts you at higher risk for lung cancer or that lying on the beach for hours gives you a greater chance of developing melanoma. But there are natural and uncontrollable factors that can lead to cancer as well. According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the most common risk factors are
Growing older
Tobacco
Sunlight
Ionising radiation (X-rays, radioactive substances and other sources)
Certain chemicals and other substances
Some viruses and bacteria
Certain hormones
Family history of cancer
Alcohol
Poor diet, lack of physical activity or being overweight
Prevention
Perhaps, the best way to keep cancer away is to catch it before it develops. Screenings such as mammograms, pap tests and other blood work can help prevent many common types of cancer.
Women
Breast: A mammogram - an X-ray of the breast - can help catch breast cancer early. The NCI suggests women over 40 years old should have a mammogram once every one to two years. The ACS also urges women who have been diagnosed with cancer in one breast to have an MRI to ensure there is not a tumour in the other breast as well. The group's recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine notes that more than three per cent of new breast cancer cases have had one breast diagnosed, but cancer is also lurking in the other, which was undetectable through mammograms or physical testing. The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation also recommends that women over 20 do monthly breast self-exams and have clinical breast exams every three years. After age 40, clinical breast exams should be conducted annually.
Cervix: Called both pap tests and pap smears, these screenings can help prevent cervical cancer. By taking a sample of tissue around the cervix, the test can show whether cancer cells are present. The NCI says pap tests should occur every three years after a woman becomes sexually active or when she turns 21, whichever comes first.
Men
Prostate: The cancer that affects men the most can be treated through a blood test and digital rectal examination, according to the ACS. All men should begin annual testing at age 50. Black men and those with a family history of the disease are considered at high risk and may begin testing early as 40 to 45 years old.
Both
Colon and rectum: There are a number of tests that can be done to prevent cancers in these areas of the body, including rectal exams and colonoscopies. The NCI advises people 50 and over to get screened.
Treatments
Once cancer has been diagnosed, there are four main treatment options, according to the American Cancer Society: surgery, radiation, chemotherapy and biological therapies.
Surgery: Most cancer patients will undergo some surgery since it is the most effective way to eliminate cancer that hasn't spread yet to multiple parts of the body. There are less invasive options available in some cases, such as laser surgery. Surgery can be used as a preventative or diagnostic step, and also to remove or reduce tumours.
Radiation: Radiation uses of waves or high-energy particles to kill cancer cells and prevent them from doubling. Radiation is a local treatment and only affects the part of the body being treated.
Chemotherapy: Often given by simply swallowing a pill or having an injection similar to the flu shot, chemotherapy has been used to treat cancer since the 1950s and is one of the oldest forms of treatment. Usually distributed through the veins, chemotherapy, unlike radiation, affects the whole body, not just the cancerous areas. Common side effects include hair loss, sickness, change in bone marrow and fatigue.
Biological therapies: Unlike other treatments, biological therapies don't treat the cancer directly, but instead try to help the weakened immune system. They work to block cancerous cells and strengthen healthy ones, and can also help treat side effects of other treatments, such as chemotherapy.
Treatment options can have different levels of effectiveness due to the patient's overall health and the stage of the cancer. Treatment can also vary depending on if the goal is to cure, treat symptoms or simply to control the spread of the cancer.
SOURCES: American Cancer Society, National Cancer Institute
GLOSSARY
Here are some common words associated with cancer, with definitions from the ACS.
Antibody: A protein produced by immune system cells and released into the blood. Antibodies defend against foreign agents such as bacteria.
Benign: Not cancerous; not malignant.
Biopsy: The removal of a sample of tissue to see whether cancer cells are present.
Bone marrow transplant: A treatment that restores blood-forming stem cells that have been destroyed by high doses of chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy. The bone marrow may come from the patient or a donor.
Carcinoma: A malignant tumour that begins in the lining layer of organs. At least 80 per cent of all cancers are carcinomas.
Doubling time: The time it takes for a cell to divide or for a cancer to double itself in size. Cancers vary in doubling time from eight to 600 days, averaging 100 to 120 days, so a cancer may be present for many years before it can be found.
Lymph nodes: Small bean-shaped collections of immune system tissue such as lymphocytes, found along lymphatic vessels. They remove cell waste, germs and other harmful substances from lymph. They help fight infections and also have a role in fighting cancer, although cancers sometimes spread through them.
Malignant tumour: A mass of cancer cells that may invade surrounding tissues or spread to distant areas of the body.
Oncology: The branch of medicine concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.
Red blood cells: Blood cells that contain haemoglobin, the substance that carries oxygen to all of the cells of the body.
Remission: Complete or partial disappearance of the signs and symptoms of cancer in response to treatment; the period during which a disease is under control. A remission may not be a cure.
White blood cells: Help defend the body against infections. Certain cancer treatments such as chemotherapy can reduce the number of these cells and make a person more likely to get infections.
According to the American Cancer Society, prostate and breast cancers top the list of sites of new cancer cases among men and women in the United States, based on 2006 estimates.
