25 Facts About Cancer That Could Help You Save a Life

The word “cancer” can be more than a little scary. And getting a cancer diagnosis can be, too. And for a lot of people, they’re left with so many questions.

“Patients ask us this question all the time,” says Megan Kruse, MD, a breast oncologist with the Cleveland Clinic. “The diagnosis often feels like such a random thing…so they’re like, how could this possibly have happened to me?”

But knowledge is power. Knowing your risk profile for developing certain types of cancer, knowing what to look for, and knowing how to maximize your chances for living a longer, healthy life can help.

Making healthy choices can also help, if you do face a cancer diagnosis.

“Work closely with your healthcare provider to decide your best management strategy. Make sure that you follow a healthy lifestyle, including diet, exercise and avoiding risky behaviors,” says Smita Bhatia, MD, MPH, Investigator on the St. Baldrick’s Foundation–SU2C Pediatric Cancer Dream Team and Director of the Institute for Cancer Outcomes and Survivorship at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. “Having a supportive family also goes a long way.”

Here are 25 facts about cancer that might help you build your knowledge base about cancer—and help you advocate for yourself in a medical setting.

Cancer Facts

1. There are more than 100 different kinds of cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute. Cancer can grow in your bones, bone marrow, soft tissues like muscle and fat, inside your organs and other places in the body.

2. Do you know what the most common type of cancer is in the United States? It’s skin cancer. And it’s not just the most common type in the U.S.; it’s the most common type of cancer worldwide.

3. Don’t blow off the importance of applying an adequate amount of sunscreen to unprotected skin every time you head outdoors. Accruing just five sunburns doubles your risk of melanoma, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation.

4. Have you ever wondered why your dermatologist so enthusiastically recommends regular skin checks? Early detection of skin cancer could save your life. In fact, the five-year survival rate for melanoma that’s detected early and treated is 99 percent.

5. When assessing your skin for melanoma, remember these letters: ABCDE. Asymmetry, irregular Border, uneven Color, Diameter and Evolving. They can help you notice changes in lesions on your skin so you can get evaluated.

6. One out of every 78 women will develop ovarian cancer during her lifetime, according to the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition.

7. Early detection is key with ovarian cancer. The five-year survival rate for ovarian cancer when it’s detected, diagnosed and treated in the earliest stages is over 90 percent.

8. The most common symptoms of ovarian cancer are pelvic or belly pain, bloating, a sensation of feeling full quickly, and urgent or frequent needs to urinate. Not everyone will experience these symptoms, but if you do, and they persist or worsen, it’s worth consulting your doctor.

9. Not every cancer returns later after treatment, but some do. Most cancers that recur tend to return during the first five years after treatment, according to the National Cancer Institute.

10. Some people undergoing treatment for non-small cell lung cancer with certain genetic mutations now have a new adjuvant treatment available to help them. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a drug called Tagrisso (osimertinib) on Dec. 18, 2020, that’s designed to enhance their cancer treatment.

11. Other than non-melanoma skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common type of cancer that’s diagnosed in the United States. The National Cancer Institute estimates that approximately 279,100 new cases will have been diagnosed in the U.S. during 2020.

12. When breast cancer is caught early, when the cancer is “localized,” meaning it hasn’t spread beyond the breast, the five-year survival rate is 99 percent. According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, about 64 percent of breast cancer cases are diagnosed at this stage.

13. A breast cancer vaccine could be on the horizon. A team headed by Cleveland Clinic immunologist Vincent Tuohy, PhD, developed the technology for a breast cancer vaccine, and Cleveland Clinic oncologist Thomas Budd, MD, will lead a clinical trial to test out the vaccine made by biotechnology company Anixa Biosciences, Inc.

14. The two main types of the cancer in the cells of the lymph system that’s known as lymphoma are Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). The five-year survival rate for Hodgkin lymphoma is about 87 percent.

15. Hodgkin lymphoma is the most commonly diagnosed type of cancer in teens between the ages of 15 and 19.

16. Immunotherapy, which is a biological treatment that spurs your immune system to fight off cancer, is now available to treat more than a dozen different types of cancer, including lung cancer and breast cancer.

17. Immunotherapy can be administered in a variety of ways, depending on the type and stage of your cancer. For example, you might be able to take a pill or capsule or receive your therapy intravenously. Some people with skin cancer can rub a cream into their skin. And some people receive their immunotherapy treatment directly into their bladder, a method known as Intravesical treatment.

18. If you’re 50 or older, your doctor may recommend getting your first colorectal screening test. These screening tests look for polyps and abnormal growths in the colon that may be the sign of colorectal cancer. The options include colonoscopy, sigmoidoscopy and stool tests such as a high-sensitivity fecal occult blood test and a stool DNA test, according to the National Cancer Institute.

19. Colorectal cancer causes more deaths than you might realize. In fact, it’s the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths in men and women in the United States.

20. The overall death rate of colorectal cancer has been dropping over the last couple of decades due to improvements in screenings, early detection and treatments. However, the death rate among people under 55 has increased slightly, which might inspire you to talk to your doctor about your risk profile of developing colorectal cancer.

21. Every three minutes, someone in the U.S. is diagnosed with a blood cancer like leukemia, lymphoma or myeloma. And every nine minutes, someone dies from a blood cancer.

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22. Stop smoking. No, really. Tobacco smoke is considered a carcinogen–that is, it’s a substance that’s believed to cause cancer. Smoking is the No. 1 risk factor for lung cancer and causes 80-90 percent of lung cancer deaths.

23. Do you have a working radon detector in your home? If not, it’s time to get one. Radon, which is a naturally occurring gas, is the second leading cause of lung cancer cases in the U.S., or about 20,000 cases per year. And one out of every 15 homes in the nation is likely to have high radon levels.

24. Alcohol and tobacco, especially if they’re used together, are believed to cause about three-quarters of the head and neck cancers diagnosed in the U.S.

25. Although most Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) infections don’t cause cancer, the HPV type 16 strain is considered a risk factor for cancers of the head and neck. Other HPV-related cancers include vaginal, vulvar, anal, penile and cervical cancer. The Gardasil vaccine provides protection against nine types of HPV, including seven of the high risk strains that can lead to cancer.