 Cancer is a group of more than 100 diseases that develop over time › Involve the uncontrolled division of the body’s cells  Cancer is the 2 nd leading cause of death in the US

 More than 2,300 years ago, Hippocrates observed that the veins off of some breast tumors looked like limbs of a crab so the Latin word for crab was eventually used for all tumors

 Tumor: mass of cells › May remain within the tissue in which it originated (in situ or benign cancer) › May begin to invade nearby tissues (invasive or malignant cancer) › Cells can move through the blood or lymph system and create tumors elsewhere in the body ( metastatic cancer)

 Stages of tumor development: › Mutation › Hyperplasia › Dysplasia › In situ cancer (benign tumor) › Invasive cancer (malignant cancer) › Cells can move through the blood or lymph system and create tumors elsewhere in the body ( metastatic cancer)

 The type of cancer depends on it’s location  Each type of cancer has its own growth rate, prognosis, and treatability

 Lifetime Risk › The probability that you will develop cancer › Men have a one in two lifetime risk › Women have a one in three lifetime risk  Relative Risk › Your individual risk based on genetics and risk factors

 Incidence Rate: › The number of new cases per 100,000 people  Mortality Rate: › The number of deaths per 100,000 people per year  Survival Rate: › The proportion of patients alive at a given point after their diagnosis of cancer  The chance of surviving cancer increases with earlier detection and treatment

 Cancer in children is relatively rare; only 14.1 cases per 100,000 children under the age of 15  However, after accidents, Cancer is the second leading cause of childhood death in the US.  Leukemias and cancers of the brain and nervous system account for more than ½ the cancers among children.

 Levels of cancer prevention › Individual behavior changes is critical › Health care providers – provide both counseling and screening › National level – government regulations to minimize public exposure to known carcinogens › International level – actions of developed countries can effect the incidence of cancer worldwide