Abstract: . . .  cells are not needed, a mass of tissue forms. This mass of extra tissue, called a growth or tumor , can be benign or malignant. Most cancers are named for the type of cell or the organ in which they begin. When cancer spreads, the new tumor has the same kind of abnormal cells and the same name as the primary tumor . For example, if breast cancer spreads to the lungs, it is still breast cancer , not lung cancer . Another word for cancerous is malignant, so a cancerous tumor is referred to as malignant. But not all tumors are cancer . A tumor that is not cancer is called benign. Benign tumors do not grow and spread the way cancer does. They are usually not life- threatening. A few cancers , such as blood cancers (leukemia), do not form a tumor . What are the most prevalent types of cancer ? The most prevalent types of cancer are breast (in women), cervical, colorectal, lung, lymphoma, oral (oropharyngeal), prostate, and skin. Types of Cancer Breast An estimated 182,800 new invasive cases of breast cancer are expected to occur among women in the United States during 2000. About 1,400 new cases of breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in men in 2000. After increasing about 4 percent per year in the 1980s, breast cancer incidence rates in women have leveled off in the 1990s to about 110.6 cases per 100,000. An estimated 41,200 deaths (40,800 women, 400 men) in 2000; breast cancer ranks second among cancer deaths in women. According to the most recent data, mortality rates declined . . .
. . .  1996, the incidence rate in African American women (11.2 per 100,000) was higher than the rate in white women (7.3 per 100,000). As pap screening has become more prevalent, carcinoma in situ of the cervix occurs more frequently than invasive cancer . An estimated 4,600 cervical cancer deaths in 2000. Mortality rates have also declined sharply over the past several decades. During 1992 to 1996, cervical cancer mortality rates declined on average about two percent per year. Signs and Symptoms Abnormal vaginal bleeding or spotting; abnormal vaginal discharge. Pain and systemic symptoms are late manifestations of the disease. Risk Factors Cervical cancer risk is closely linked to sexual behavior and to sexually transmitted infections with certain types of human papillomavirus. Women who have sex at an early age, many sexual partners, or have partners who have had many sexual partners are at higher risk of developing the disease. Other risk factors include cigarette smoking and low socioeconomic status. Early Detection The pap test is a simple procedure that can be performed by a health care professional as part of a pelvic exam. A small sample of cells is swabbed from the cervix, transferred to a slide, and examined under a microscope. This test should be performed annually with a pelvic exam in women who are, or have been, sexually active or who have reached age eighteen. After three or more consecutive annual exams with normal findings, the pap test may be performed less frequently . . .
--3000,2,750,3153,25287