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(Jupiter Images)
In women with dense breasts, mammograms alone do a lousy job of finding cancer.
Articles and analysis by U.S. News & World Report on the various types of cancer, as well as symptoms, management, and treatment of the disease.
Health Community
Cancer is a multitude of diseases, but families who face it share a common fear and the need for support. Connect with others who have breast, prostate, or other cancers.
Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) is the most common cancer in children. Of the estimated 5,200 people expected to be diagnosed this year, 3 out of 5 will be children or adolescents 19 years of age or younger. Fortunately, most patients respond well to treatment.
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Most brain tumors in children are primary tumors, meaning they arise in the brain. In adults, most are metastatic or secondary tumors, meaning the cancer has spread to the brain from the breast, lung, or other part of the body. Nearly 1 in 4 people with cancer will get a secondary brain tumor.
Each year, about 215,000 women in the United States are found to have invasive breast cancer. Changes that should be promptly evaluated are the appearance of a lump in the breast or underarm, flakiness around the nipple, or a reddening of the skin.
Because so many women have Pap tests annually, deaths from cervical cancer have decreased greatly and are now rare in the United States. Chances of successfully treating cervical cancer are highest when it is detected early.
Also called colon or rectal cancer, this cancer usually begins as a small, mushroom-shaped growth on the lining of the large intestine. Symptoms include blood in the stool, cramping, a long period of constipation, and a frequent feeling of bloating or fullness.
In the United States, the most common cancer of the female reproductive system is endometrial cancer, in which malignant cells grow in the endometrium, the lining of the uterus. Fortunately, most endometrial cancers are discovered early because of warning signs such as irregular or postmenopausal bleeding.
The No. 1 thing you can do to keep from getting lung cancer is to avoid tobacco smoke. In the early stages, when it is most successfully treated, lung cancer often has no symptoms. In the later stages, symptoms include a persistent cough, wheezing, shortness of breath, and chest pain.
About 34,000 people are diagnosed with cancers of the mouth and oropharynx (the part of the throat just behind the mouth) in the United States each year. Fortunately, cases of these cancers and deaths have been decreasing over the past 30 years. Although the exact causes of these cancers are unknown, alcohol and tobacco use are major risk factors.
The symptoms of ovarian cancer are often common and vague, which makes it difficult to diagnose. If ovarian cancer is diagnosed early, which happens in about 25 percent of cases, 90 percent of women survive for five years or longer. Ovarian cancer is usually treated with surgery and chemotherapy.
Pancreatic cancer represents only 2 percent of all cancer cases, but it is the fourth leading cause of cancer death in the United States. By the time a person has symptoms, the cancer has often spread to other organs. Pancreatic cancer may be treated with surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy.
Some experts speculate that every man will develop some degree of prostate cancer if he lives long enough. Symptoms may include urinary urgency and erectile dysfunction. The good news is that there are many treatment options and death rates are dropping.
More than 1 million cases of skin cancer are diagnosed each year. Malignant melanoma is less common than basal or squamous cell skin cancers, but it is more dangerous than either and can be deadly. Nearly all skin cancer can be treated if it is detected and diagnosed early.
The thyroid gland is part of the body's endocrine system, a system of glands that control hormones in the body. Thyroid cancer is one of the least dangerous cancers in most cases, and the five-year survival rate for all types of thyroid cancer is almost 97 percent.
Many cancer patients try complementary and alternative medicine, which includes practices such as acupuncture and yoga, herbal medicines, nutritional supplements, homeopathy, and others. These treatments are not necessarily proven to work, but some do have evidence backing them up.
People often think there's little they can do to prevent cancer. But nothing could be further from the truth. Here are eight steps to start you on your way.
Clinical trials are research studies involving people. All patients who participate in clinical trials are volunteers. Before you sign up, find out everything you need to know.
One in every 6 people over age 65 is a cancer survivor. Sixty-four percent of people diagnosed with cancer today can expect to be alive in five years, and in children, the 10-year survival rate has reached 75 percent. As a result, many researchers are now focused on helping survivors regain a sense of well-being.
Sexuality may not be the primary focus for many cancer patients, but at some point, whether because of sexual changes, relationship issues, or difficulties with fertility, patients realize the impact of cancer on their sexuality. No matter the diagnosis or prognosis, you can take care of your sexual health.
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Heart surgeon Charles Fraser with Rachel Parrish, 9, at Texas Children's Hospital. He operated on Rachel in 1997, 1998, and 2001 to treat her for hypoplastic left heart syndrome. (Kevin Horan/Aurora for USN&WR)
Out of 5,189 hospitals only 3 percent are ranked in one or more specialty. Johns Hopkins tops the Honor Roll.
New England is home to many of the best health plans in the country. U.S. News and NCQA review 684 plans.
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