What is cancer? The 5 different types that kill

Find out what the five deadliest types of cancer are! According to data from the American Cancer Association, in 2021 there were 1.9 million reported diagnoses of cancer and more than 600,000 deaths from this disease in the United States.

But what is cancer? It is a disease in which cells begin to grow uncontrollably, moving to different parts of the body, causing damage to organs and tissues. Although some types of cancer are curable if detected early, many of them often do not present symptoms until it is too late. Learn about the five different types of cancer that cause the most deaths.

5. Lung cancer

Some digital cells as a concept of cancer — Shutterstock

Statistics don’t lie: Lung and bronchial cancer are among the deadliest in the United States, ranking as the leading cause of cancer death in the country. Scientists attribute this disease to tobacco use, but this is not always the case.

Lung cancer has a higher incidence in patients between 55 and 65 years old, and the North American Cancer Society estimates that in 2022 there will be 236,740 people diagnosed with this disease. Of these, at least 130,180 could die.

4. Colon cancer

A type of cancer that causes many deaths is colon cancer. The probability that this type of cancer occurs is 4.3% in men, and 4% in women. When diagnosed early, the survival rate can be up to 91%.

Colon cancer is a type of cancer that occurs in the large intestine and the symptoms may not be so obvious, leading to early treatment being ruled out or the patient confusing stomach discomfort with any other type of ailment.

3. Pancreatic cancer

A digital pancreas in a body as a concept of cancer in it — Shutterstock

Pancreatic cancer has a 10.8% survival rate, making it one of the deadliest types of cancer, not just in the United States, but worldwide. Of all the types of cancer that exist, pancreatic cancer is considered the most lethal.

The treatment indicated for a patient with pancreatic cancer will depend on the aggressiveness of the disease and may include surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, in an attempt to eradicate the cancer cells. The National Cancer Institute estimates that, in 2021, pancreatic cancer claimed the lives of 48,220 people in the United States.

2. Ovarian cancer

The American Cancer Association predicts that by 2022, nearly 20,000 women in the United States will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Of these, 12,810 may lose their lives to the disease due to the aggressiveness of the cancer or the advanced stage at which it was diagnosed.

Ovarian cancer, in addition to being one of the deadliest types of cancer, can be treated with surgery in which cancer cells are removed to prevent them from spreading to other areas. Before and after the operation, chemotherapy is also given, either intravenously or by pill (or both).

1. Brain cancer

Brain cancer, according to estimates by the American Cancer Association, will be diagnosed in 25,050 Americans. This figure includes both children and adults, who will have a survival rate of 29.4% during the first five years of the disease.

Treatment for brain cancer depends on the type of tumor and its size, but includes surgery, radiation, immunotherapy, and chemotherapy, as well as treatments that are still being studied. In 2021 alone, it was estimated that 18,600 US citizens would die from this type of cancer.

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