There are a lot of rumors about cancer that make it difficult for people to understand what’s true and what’s not about the disease. Here we address some of the common questions people ask about cancer.
How common is it?
Research says that about one-third of all people in the United States will develop cancer during their lifetimes.
The risk of developing most types of cancer can be lessened by changing a person’s lifestyle. For instance, by not smoking, avoiding so much alcohol, limiting sun- exposure, and being physically active and eating healthy foods.
Who gets cancer?
Latest reports said that over 1.5 million new cancer cases are discovered yearly. Anyone can get cancer at any age, but the risk goes up with age. Nearly 9 out of 10 cancers are diagnosed in people ages 50 and older. Cancer can be found in people of all racial and ethnic groups, but the incidence rate of cancer differs from group to group.
What is the cause?
Things people do
Some cancers are caused by the things that people do. For example, tobacco use can cause cancer of the lungs, mouth, bladder, kidneys, and many other organs. But of course, not everyone who smokes tobacco will get cancer, but it greatly increases the risk.
Other things people are exposed to
Everybody knows that radiation can cause cancer. For instance, people that are exposed to nuclear fallout have a higher cancer risk than those who were not exposed. Sometimes, the radiation treatment forcancer can cause another cancer to grow years later.
