One of the augmented concerns for medical science is that more and more women are being diagnosed with Cancer every year. The most common cancer in women is breast cancer. The others are lung and bronchus cancers, Colon and rectal cancers, uterine cancer and Non-Hodgkin lymphoma cancer.
Family medical history of cancer leads to occurrence of cancer. Along with this your environment and lifestyle also affects the chances of occurrence in you. You cannot alter your family medical history and very few environmental factors can be controlled. But you can definitely make some wise alteration to your lifestyle choices. These are weight, diet, smoking, and activity level. In order to fight cancer you should be aware of all these cancer types. This article will focus on these 5 top cancers affecting women.
1. Breast Cancer Risks
26 percent of cancer cases in females are of breast cancer and 15 percent die due to it. One out of eight women is susceptible to getting breast cancer. The causes and reasons for breast cancer are family history of breast cancer, dense breast tissue, past radiation treatment done to the chest, having more than average number of periods – if they start before 12 years of age and reach menopause after 55 years of age, non pregnancy, having birth control pills, getting pregnant after 30 years of age, being treated by drug Diethylstilbestrol (DES), not breastfeeding, overweight, having a high-fat diet, lack of exercise and heavy drinking.
Race also has an effect on breast cancer occurrence. More white women suffer from breast cancer than American-African women. But more African-Americans women die due to breast cancer, the reason being that in African-American women the tumor of breast cancer grows faster. The ways to prevent breast cancer is regular checkup, exercises, controlling weight and having diet which is less in fat.
Lung and Bronchus Cancer Risks
14 percent of female cancers are due to lung and bronchus cancers and 26 percent die due to it. One out of 16 women gets affected by lung and bronchus cancer. This data clearly shows that this cancer causes a lot of deaths and is quite deadly and dangerous. The causes and reasons for lung and bronchus cancer are family history of lung and bronchus cancer, exposure to second-hand smoke/Radon gas/Arsenic/Tar/Soot.
Most remarkable fact is that you can reduce the chances of getting lung cancer by avoiding smoking. The people who smoke are 10-20 times more susceptible to getting lung cancer. You should also limit your alcohol, do exercise and take a healthy diet to keep yourself safe from lung and bronchus cancer.
Colon and Rectum Cancer Risks
10 percent of female cancers are due to colon and rectum cancer and 10 percent die because of this. One out of 19 women gets Colon and Rectum Cancer. The causes and reasons for this cancer are family history (of polyps, colorectal cancer or inflammatory bowel disease), smoking, inactive life style, heavy drinking, diet which is low in fiber and high in fat.
In case of colon and rectum cancers if it is detected early it is easy to cure. This is because the abnormal cells develop very slowly in the colon (10-15 years). So if detected early, you can undergo regular colonoscopy screenings and get the polyps removed.
Studies show that there can be a relation between dairy food/calcium and colon cancer. So a diet full with dairy products and calcium should be taken to reduce the chances of colon cancer.
Uterine Cancer
Six percent of female cancers are Uterine cancer and three percent die due to it. One out of 41 women gets uterine cancer.
Uterine cancer is caused mainly due to hormonal changes (estrogen). The other causes are having more than average number of periods – if they start before 12 years of age and reach menopause after 55 years of age, no pregnancy, estrogen therapy, obesity, eating diet high in fat content, ovarian tumors, age, diabetes, family history of colon cancer, personal history of ovarian or breast cancer.
Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
Four percent of female cancers are Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma cancer and three percent die due to it. One out of 53 women gets affected with it.
Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma cancer attacks the lymphatic system of the body. It can appear in spleen, lymph nodes, adenoids, tonsils, thymus gland, or bone marrow. The causes of this cancer are weakened immune system, old age exposure herbicides and insecticides, obesity and autoimmune diseases.
To avoid Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma cancer you can only protect yourself from diseases causing immune deficiency like HIV.
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle and altering habits like quitting smoking, taking proper diet (rich in fibers and avoiding fats) exercising can assist you in preventing these cancers.
