Our Other Health Concerns

 

	Lung Cancer
	Lung cancer claims more lives than any other cancer. Every year it will strike more than 91,000 men, and an estimated 93,400 will die of the disease. Perhaps the greatest tragedy of lung cancer is that it can be almost totally prevented, but still takes so many lives each year. In recent years, the number of black American men who smoke has been decreasing. This fact is the good news. The bad news is that, among male smokers, black men tend to choose cigarettes with a higher tar and nicotine content, and they get lung cancer and smoking-related diseases more than white men. Between 1973 and 1992, the rate of lung cancer in black American women increased more than 100 percent, and so did the death rate. For black American women, lung cancer is now the leading cause of cancer death. Who Is At Risk? People who smoke are at the greatest risk of getting lung cancer and a host of other tobacco-related diseases such as heart disease, stroke, and emphy­sema. Smoking is responsible for 87% of all lung cancers, Other risk factors include exposure to radon and asbestos, especially in smokers. The Best Defense: Prevention Lung cancer is one of the few cancers that can be prevented, because almost all of it is caused by smoking. If you are a smoker, ask your health care provider to help you quit. if you don’t smoke, don’t start. If your friends and loved ones are smokers, help them quit.
	Colorectal Cancer
	Between 1973 and 1992, colorectal cancer in black American men increased 40 percent; in black American women, it increased 16 percent. And during this same period, the death rate from colon cancer for black men increased 23 percent. Colorectal cancer is a disease of the lower digestive tract. Almost 65,000 men will be diagnosed with it this year and about 28,000 will die of the disease. Advances in the detection and treatment of this cancer have made it very treatable if caught early. Who Is At Risk? Anyone is at risk for colorectal cancer. People with a family history of the disease or who have polyps in the colon or rectum or inflammatory bowel disease are at somewhat greater risk than the general population. Diets high in fat and low in fiber put people at higher risk for colorectal cancer. The Best Defense: Early Detection Most colorectal cancers begin as polyps which later become cancerous. These polyps can be detected and removed before they become cancerous. In this sense, colorectal cancer is a disease that can be prevented. Eating food that is low in fat and high in fiber appears to lower the risk of colorectal cancer. The American Cancer Society recommends the following guidelines for early detection of colorectal cancer: Age 50 and older, one of the following: Fecal occult blood test every year and flexiblesiglnoidoscopy every five years or Colonoscopy every ten years or Double-contrast barium enema (DCBE) every five to ten years digital rectal exam should be done at the same time as sigmoidoscopy, colonoscopy, or DCBE. (People at moderate or high risk for colorectal cancer should talk with their doctor about a different screening schedule.) There have been remarkable advances in the treatment of this cancer and few survivors of the disease need to have colostomies or wear external bags anymore. Don’t be afraid to talk about colorectal cancer with your health care provider. An early diagnosis can save your life.
	Ovarian Cancer
	The Facts Approximately 25,200 cases of ovarian cancer occur annually; and it causes over 14,500 deaths a year, more than any other cancer of the female reproductive system. This is largely because it is a “silent” cancer with no obvious signs or symptoms until its late stages. Who Is At Risk? As with most cancers, the risk of getting ovarian cancer increases with age. Women who have never had children, women who have a family history of ovarian cancer, and women who have had breast cancer are at somewhat higher risk for this cancer. However, most women who get ovarian cancer do not have any of these risk factors. Pregnancy the use of oral contraceptives, and having a tubal ligation decrease the risk of ovarian cancer; the risk decreases as the number of pregnancies and the years of use of oral contraceptives increases. The Best Defense: Regular Checkups Periodic, thorough pelvic exams are important. Unfortunately, there are no effective and proven tests for detecting the disease early, such as is the case with mammography and breast cancer. The Pap test, so effective in detecting cervical cancer in its early stages, only rarely detects ovarian cancer and usually in its late stages.
	Endometrial Cancer
	The Facts Each year there are about 37,400 cases of cancer of the body of the uterus. These occur most often in the endometrium—the inside lining—of the uterus. About 6,400 women die of this cancer annually. Who Is At Risk? Endometrial cancer occurs most often in women over age 50. Estrogen replacement therapy and tamoxifen increase a woman’s risk of this disease. Other risk factors are the early onset of menstrual periods, late menopause, a history of infertility, never having had children, obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure. Pregnancy and the use of oral contraceptives appear to provide some protection against this type of cancer. The Best Defense: Early Detection Watch for signs and symptoms, such as abnormal spotting or bleeding from the uterus. At menopause women at high risk should have a tissue sample or biopsy taken from the endometrium for evaluation. Although the Pap test is very good at detecting cancer of the cervix (the part of the uterus that extends into the upper vagina), it is not a reliable test for early diagnosis of endometrial cancer.
	Skin Cancer
	Although there are about 1 million cases of skin cancer each year, most of these cancers are easily treated and cured. One type of skin cancer, melanoma, is deadly if not treated early and the number of new cases is increasing rapidly in both women and men. Who Is At Risk? People with fair complexions, especially redheads, have a greater risk of getting this type of cancer than people with darker coloring, although anyone who spends a lot of time in the sun is at risk. People who have had close family members with a melanoma are at higher risk for this type of skin cancer as are people who had severe sunburns before the age of 18. It is especially important to protect children from sun exposure. The Best Defense: Prevention and Early Detection Most skin cancers can be prevented by avoiding prolonged exposure to the sun, especially between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Wear protective clothing—hats with brims, long-sleeved shirts—and use sunscreen on all exposed parts of the skin, if you have children, protect them from the sun and don’t let them get sunburned. Examine your skin regularly, and have a skin exam during your regular health checkups.