Did you know that about 50 percent of women and around 30 percent of men are expected to develop some form of cancer during their lifetime? Cancer is the second top cause of death in Americans after heart disease. Even when diagnosed early and attacked with the latest treatments, it still has the power to kill.
There are many types of cancers. The following are the leading killer cancers in the United States.
Lung Cancer
Lung cancer is the top killer cancer in the United States. Lung cancer is common among both men and women. It causes more deaths each year than ovarian, colon, prostate, and breast cancers combined. Normally, lung cancer does not show symptoms until it has progressed. Eventually, when signs appear, they vary from one patient to another.
What are the causes and risk factors of lung cancer?
Cigarette smoking causes more than 80% of lung cancer.
Other risk factors of lung cancer include:
- Family history
- Exposure to secondhand smoke
- Exposure to asbestos
- Exposure to other chemicals and pollutants
Colorectal Cancer
Colorectal cancer, colon cancer, rectal cancer, or bowel cancer is a form of cancer that affects the colon and rectum. According to the American Cancer, about one in twenty-three women and one in twenty-one men in the United States will develop bowel cancer in their lifetime. It is the second leading cause of cancer death in women and the third for men. But, due to technological advancement and improvements in treatments, cases of deaths due to colorectal cancer has been reducing.
Risk factors such as age are unavoidable. Other fixed risk factors include:
- A prior history of bowel diseases
- A family history of colorectal cancer
Other risk factors are avoidable. Avoidable risk factors include:
- Being overweight or obese
- Smoking
- Having type 2 diabetes
- Consuming a diet high in processed meats.
Breast Cancer
Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death among women in the United States and the most prevalent cancer after lung cancer among US women.
Some warning signs of breast cancer are;
- Swelling of part of the breast.
- New lump in the underarm.
- Pain in the nipple area
- Irritation of breast skin.
- Redness of the breast.
- Nipple discharge.
Mesothelioma
Malignant mesothelioma is a type of cancer that occurs in the thin layer of tissue covering your internal organs.
When asbestos fibers, are inhaled they settle in the stomach or in the lungs, where they may cause mesothelioma. Mesothelioma Symptoms include;
- Chest pain.
- Shortness of breath
- Fatigue, a high fever, a persistent cough
- Loss of appetite and unexplained weight loss
When exposed to asbestos, the best way to protect your respiratory system is by using appropriate respirators. You can only achieve maximum protection by a respirator after appropriate functionality testing. Properly working and fitted respirator only allows air in and out from the proper components. Additionally, you can file a mesothelioma claim against industries dealing with asbestos products to get appropriate compensation.
A common form of mesothelioma legal assistance is an asbestos trust fund. Major companies created asbestos trust funds to caution them against bankruptcy if they faced an unprecedented number of mesothelioma lawsuits. After the trust funds were formed, victims could no longer sue these companies. Over 30 Billion US dollars has been put aside in bankruptcy trusts to compensate asbestos exposure victims.