It’s not necessarily a Top 10 list you want to be part of. But the more you know about cancer, the better.
Colorectal Cancer
Breast Cancer
Estimated New Cases: 268,600 in women and 2,670 in men
Estimated Deaths: 41,760 in women and 500 in men each year
One of the big three, breast cancer primarily affects women, but there are a small number of cases in men.
How to reduce your risk: Mammograms and breast self-exams help with early detection, when breast cancer is most treatable. If there is a family history of breast cancer, your doctor might suggest genetic testing.
Lung Cancer
Estimated New Cases: 228,150 each year
Estimated Deaths: 142,670 each year
Lung cancer is by far the leading killer of women and men among the big three cancers. The good news: As smoking becomes less prevalent, lung cancer deaths are also falling.
How to reduce your risk: Don’t smoke — or quit if you do. Avoid secondhand smoke and exposure to environmental toxins.
Prostate Cancer
Estimated New Cases: 174,650 each year
Estimated Deaths: 31,620 each year
The last of the big three, and one that affects only men, prostate cancer often grows slowly — which has changed how the medical community thinks about detection and treatment. While it is common, most men who are diagnosed with prostate cancer do not die from it.
How to reduce your risk: While testing for prostate cancer was once considered routine, it's now recommended that each man work with his health care provider to determine the best course of action.
Melanoma
Estimated New Cases: 96,480 each year
Estimated Deaths: 7,230 each year
Melanoma is less common than either basal cell carcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma, but it is far more deadly — which is one reason it’s considered separately. Melanoma grows quickly and is harder to cure.
How to reduce your risk: While avoiding sun and UV exposure is important, it’s less strongly associated with this type of skin cancer. Your best best is to monitor your skin, especially anything that appears to be a mole, and to have periodic skin exams by a doctor.
Bladder Cancer
Estimated New Cases: 80,470 each year
Estimated Deaths: 17,670 each year
Bladder cancer is more common in men than in women. It’s often caught at an early, more treatable, stage.
How to reduce your risk: There are no routine tests for bladder cancer. The key is to live a healthy lifestyle — definitely avoid smoking — and to have regular health care visits.
Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
Estimated New Cases: 74,200 each year
Estimated Deaths: 19,970 each year
Lymphomas are cancers of the lymphatic system, which is part of the immune system. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, which develops in a type of white blood cell, is the most common, and there are several different types — some of which are more aggressive than others.
How to reduce your risk: The risk factors for lymphomas are unclear, but lifestyle matters — and you’re at an increased risk if you’ve had certain infections, such as HIV and Epstein-Barr; are exposed to pesticides; or have used immunosuppressants.
