10 Things You Should Know About Cancer
By Lonnie Wilson MMDTV.com Staff Writer
While cancer rates across the country have dropped considerably in the last decade, they have not changed that much for African Americans. In fact, Blacks have higher cancer rates than other ethnic groups in a number of areas.
“A lot of what we do –our behavior and lifestyle – impact our risk,” says Dr. Durado Brooks, director of prostate and colorectal cancer for the American Cancer Society.
“Tobacco, alcohol, diets high in fat and a lack of physical activity have all been shown to increase our risk to a number of cancers," he says. "The other side is that, is that not smoking, by avoiding or limiting alcohol, eating a diet high in fresh fruits and vegetable and maintaining a healthy body weigh can all help prevent cancer."
Don’t Procrastinate!
Brooks also points out that another way to reduce your risk for cancer is to stop putting off regular exams and screening tests such as the pap smear or colonoscopy. Getting regular checkups can also can help to find cancers before they turn into a problem, he says.
“Avoidance of cancer screenings because you fear cancer might be found doesn’t help," he says. "If they’re found early they’re more likely to be treatable and more often curable. But you don’t find cancer early by waiting and avoiding check ups and waiting for symptoms to occur."
In recognition of Cancer Awareness Month, here are 10 more things you should know about cancer, which experts say is increasingly treatable if caught early.
- African Americans have the largest incidence and death rate from cancer overall in the U.S.
- Cancer is the second leading cause of death among African Americans.
- African Americans get colorectal cancer more often than any other U.S. minority group.
- The death rate for African-American men for prostate cancer is approximately 2.4 times higher than that for White men.
- An estimated 19,010 new cases of breast cancer and 1,910 cases of cervical cancer are expected to occur among African American women in 2007.
- An estimated 21,550 cases of lung cancer are expected to occur among African Americans in 2007, accounting for about 14 percent of the cancer diagnoses in African Americans.
- Among African-American children, ages 1-14 years, cancer ranks third among the leading causes of death surpassed only by accidents and homicides.
- Black women suffer from a higher amount of an incurable form of breast cancer.
- Cancers among African Americans are more frequently diagnosed after the cancer has metastasized and spread to regional or distant sites.
- The most commonly diagnosed cancers among African American men are prostate, lung, and colorectal cancer. For Black women, they are breast, colorectal and lung cancer.
What can you do to address our cancer concerns personally, and help prevent it? The best place to start is with information. Visit the web sites in the "See Also" section.
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