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Life expectancy increases in the United States 2:31
(CNN Spanish) - Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the world, according to the World Health Organization. So much so that almost one in six deaths in the world is due to this disease.
Cancer is a disease that develops when changes occur in a group of normal cells in the body and they have an "abnormal and uncontrolled" growth that causes tumors, says the World Cancer Day page, which is celebrated every 4 February.
One of the most unfortunate characteristics of cancer is that the abnormal cells multiply "beyond their usual limits" so they can invade adjacent parts of the body or spread to other organs. This process is called "metastasis" and is the leading cause of cancer death, says WHO.
In 2018, 9.6 million deaths from cancer were recorded in the world and about 70% of those deaths were registered in low and middle income countries, the World Health Organization adds.
In the Americas, cancer is also the second leading cause of death and it is estimated that 2.9 million people are diagnosed with cancer in this region every year and 1.3 million die, according to 2018 information from the Pan American Health Organization.
The highest rate of cancer deaths on the continent occurs prematurely in people 65 years of age or younger, according to PAHO, which expects that by 2025 cancer cases will increase to more than 4 million new cases and 1.9 million deaths .
WHO says that between 30% and 50% of cancers can be prevented "by avoiding risk factors and implementing existing evidence-based prevention strategies." Many types of cancer have a high chance of cure if they are diagnosed early and treated properly, says WHO.
What are the causes of cancer?
Cancer develops due to several alterations that can interact with genetic factors and external agents, such as: alcohol consumption, overweight and obesity, poor diet, lack of physical activity, tobacco use, radiation ultraviolet and ionizing, among others. Cancer, genetics, age, and those with a weak immune system are also prone to cancer, according to the World Cancer Day page.
Experts point out that "diets with a lot of red meat, processed meat and foods with salt and with little fruit and vegetables, have an impact on cancer risk, particularly in colorectal, nasopharynx and stomach."
What are the most common and deadly types of cancer in the world?
According to the WHO, the most common types of cancer in the world are: lung cancer (2.09 million cases each year); breast cancer (2.09 million cases); colorectal cancer (1.80 million cases); prostate cancer (1.28 million cases); skin cancer (1.04 million cases) and stomach cancer (1.03 million cases).
This means that although there are many cases, these types of cancer are not necessarily the ones that cause more deaths.
However, some of these types of cancer were the ones that caused the most deaths in 2018, according to the latest data from the World Health Organization.
1. Lung cancer
1.76 million people died in 2018 from this affectation, according to the WHO.
The most common cause of lung cancer is cigarette smoking. Cigarette smoking causes about 90% of deaths from lung cancer; and this practice causes more than 480,000 deaths each year in the United States alone, that is, almost one in five deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC.
Male smokers are 25 times more likely to develop lung cancer than non-smokers, while in women this possibility is 25.7 times, according to the CDC.
This type of cancer has few symptoms in the initial stage. But later the disease manifests itself with frequent cough, chest pain, shortness of breath, wheezing, repeated episodes of pneumonia or bronchitis, hoarseness, cough with excess of mucous phlegm and with blood or oxide color.
To prevent this type of cancer, avoid smoking, and if you do, stop. Avoid being a passive smoker at home and at work.
2. Colorectal cancer
This type of cancer claimed the lives of 862,000 people in 2018, according to the WHO.
This type of cancer affects the lower intestinal portions of the digestive system, the colon and the rectum.
Tumors can develop anywhere in the colon or rectum. If colorectal cancer cells spread outside the colon or rectum, they often travel to nearby lymph nodes (sometimes called lymph glands). Colorectal cancer can also spread to other parts of the body, especially the liver, and sometimes to the lungs, bones and other organs.
Symptoms of colorectal cancer include diarrhea or constipation; feeling that your intestine does not empty completely; Blood in the stool; frequent gas pains or cramps; weight loss for no known reason; fatigue and nausea or vomiting.
The risk of developing colorectal cancer is strongly related to family history: compared to the general population, people who have a family history of colorectal cancer face approximately twice the risk of developing the disease.
Most colorectal cancer patients over 50 are diagnosed in the early stages of the disease, but a 2019 study by the American Cancer Association revealed that the majority of younger patients and survivors of this disease, the 71% said they were diagnosed in advanced stages 3 and 4.
The American Cancer Society updated its colorectal cancer screening guidelines in 2018 to recommend that adults with average risk be examined from age 45 to age 50, as previously advised. Screening options can vary from having a highly sensitive fecal test annually to having a colonoscopy every 10 years.
Colorectal cancer is highly treatable if detected early. The American Cancer Society reduced the recommended age to begin screening tests from 50 to 45 years in 2018. Analyzes can detect precancerous growths and remove them. Treatment for this type of cancer includes surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
A study published in 2019 established that anal cancer cases and deaths are increasing dramatically in the United States, especially among older people and young black men. From 2001 to 2015, cases of the most common type of anal cancer increased 2.7% per year, while mortality rates due to anal cancer increased 3.1% per year from 2001 to 2016.
3. Gastric or stomach cancer
783,000 people worldwide died in this type of cancer in 2018.
This type of cancer occurs when cancer forms in the stomach lining. "Risk factors include smoking, H. pylori bacteria infection and certain inherited conditions," says the National Cancer Institute.
There are several types of stomach cancer that tend to develop over a period of several years, says the American Cancer Society (ASC), which states that before a true cancer forms, changes are often recorded "Precancerous" in the stomach lining.
As cancer tumors in the stomach can develop in different sections of this organ, the location of cancer cells can cause treatments to vary.
4. Liver cancer
This type of cancer caused 782,000 deaths worldwide in 2018, according to the WHO.
The liver is the largest internal organ in the body, and because it performs so many vital functions, you cannot live without it. The liver is also susceptible because cancer of other organs can metastasize or spread to the liver, especially colorectal cancer.
Symptoms include unexplained weight loss, fatigue, feeling full after a small meal, lack of appetite, persistent abdominal pain, swelling of the stomach area, yellowing of the skin and eyes, and a mass that can be felt In the liver, they are some of the symptoms of liver cancer.
Among the treatments to treat liver cancer are liver surgery, ablation, embolization therapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy and chemotherapy, among others.
According to the American Cancer Association, the “best option” to cure liver cancer, remove the cancer tumor with surgery or a liver transplant, and smaller liver cancers can also be treated with other types of treatment such as ablation. or radiation
5. Breast cancer
In 2018, 627,000 deaths from this type of cancer were recorded.
Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in women in both developed and developing countries, says WHO.
This type of cancer is the most common among women worldwide, accounting for 15% of all female cancers, according to the WHO.
Approximately one in four new cases of cancer diagnosed in women worldwide occurs in the breast, and it is the most common cancer for women in 154 of the 185 countries of a 2018 study by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. The OMS.
If detected early, breast cancer can be a manageable disease, but it remains the leading cause of cancer death in women, followed by lung, colorectal and cervical cancer.
Breast cancer survival rates range from 80% in North America to less than 40% in low-income countries. This is mainly due to the lack of detection programs.
Breast cancer in men is less common than in women.
According to a study by the American Cancer Society, the absolute risk of a man developing cancer is 1 in 833, while for women it is 1 in 8. However, although this disease is rare in men, statistics show that is increasing. In 2019, the Society estimates that 2,670 new cases are diagnosed in men and approximately 500 deaths. In 1991 there were only 900 cases of invasive breast cancer in men.
Other facts about cancer
Cancer varies by region. The probability of getting cancer or dying from it depends, in part, on where people live. Almost half of new cancer cases and more than half of cancer deaths worldwide occurred in Asia, home to 60% of the world's population.
In America, however, they have their own serious problems with the disease, with a 21% incidence of cancer and 14.4% of cancer deaths, despite having only 13.3% of the world's population.
Europe accounts for 23.4% of cancer cases and 20.3% of deaths, but only 9% of the world's population.
One in five men and one in six women will develop cancer during their lifetime, the researchers estimate. One in eight men and one in 11 women will die from the disease, according to a 2018 report by the International Agency for Research on Cancer of the World Health Organization.
The number of cancer cases is increasing for several reasons, the report says: the world's population is growing and more people means more cancer. The population is also getting older and cancer risks increase as you get older. The numbers also look worse because in many countries, deaths from stroke and heart disease are declining.
Cancer