Types of cancer

• Risks of skin cancer:

  • exposure to the sun's rays
  • using sunbed
  • fair skin
  • red hair
  • age
  • family history
  • other skin conditions
  • sunburn
  • moles & freckles
• Preventing Skin cancer:


  • wear high factor sun cream
  • stay out of the sun in the heat of the day
  • do not use sunbed
  • wear a hat & sunglasses
• Two types of skin cancer:

  • melanoma
  • non-melanoma
• non-melanoma skin cancer:


  A group of cancers that slowly develop in the upper layers of the skin.
• Melanoma skin cancer:


  can spread to other organs in the body.
• Risks of Testicular cancer:

  • men born with abnormal testicles.
  • Middle aged men
  • race (more common in white men)
  • family history
  • tall men are more at risk
  • smoking
  • infertility
  • sexually transmitted infections e.g. HIV
• Preventing testicular cancer:

  • safe sex (use condoms)
  • Do not smoke
  • Get regularly checked at the GP
• Risks of breast cancer:

  • age
  • women are at a greater risk than men
  • inherited genes
  • race & ethnicity (white women have higher risk)
• Preventing risks of breast cancer:

  • Breast cancer screening for those over the age of 45 - uses a mammogram (a low-dose x-ray of the breast).
  • Regular exercise and healthy diet
  • breastfeeding can reduce you risk.
• There's types of breast cancer, can develop in different parts, in both males & females, often divided into:

  • Non-invasive breast cancer
  • invasive breast cancer
• Non-invasive breast cancer:


  Found in the ducts of the breast & hasn't developed the ability to spread outside the breast.
• Invasive breast cancer:


  Has the ability to spread outside the breast, although this doesn't necessarily mean it has spread.
• Risks of cervical cancer:

  • HPV virus
  • smoking
  • sexually transmitted infections
  • e.g. chlamydia
  • being overweight
  • long term use of oral contraceptive
  • family history
  • having multiple pregnancies
• Preventing cervical cancer:

  • Using condoms
  • HPV vaccinations now given in schools
  • The NHS carries out routine cervical smear tests for women, over the age of 25.
  • Do not smoke
• Human papilloma virus (HPV)


  Can be passed through any type of sexual contact with a man or a woman.

  • There're more than 100 different types of HPV, many of which are harmless.
  • However, some types of HPV can cause abnormal changes to the cells of the cervix, which can eventually lead to cervical cancer.
• Risks of brain tumours:

  • Age
  • medical radiation
  • previous cancer
  • genetic history
  • being overweight
  • smoking
  • alcohol

  
• Preventing brain tumours:

  • Don't drink or smoke
  • Healthy diet & exercise
  • If you show any symptoms, go to a GP to be checked ASAP.
• Symptoms of brain tumours:

  • persistent headaches
  • drowsiness
  • vomiting
  • problems with vision & seizures
• Brain tumours:

  A growth of cells in the brain that multiples in an abnormal, uncontrollable way, it can either be malignant or benign.

  • These are graded from 1 to 4, according to their behaviour.
  • Like how fast they grow & how likely they're to grow back after treatment.
• Risks of lung cancer:

  • Smoking
  • As chemicals are inhaled
  • including a small proportion caused by exposure to second hand smoke in non smokers (passive smoking).
  • Air pollution
  • exposure to radon gas
  • previous lung diseases
  • family history

  
• Preventing lung cancer:

  • Do not smoke / stay away from others who are smoking
  • maintain a healthy diet
  • exercise regularly
• Types of lung cancer:

  • small cell lung cancer
  • non-small cell lung cancer
• Small cell lung cancer:

  When these cancer cells are looked at under a microscope, they're very small.

  • usually caused by smoking & it's rare for someone, who has never smoked to develop this type of lung cancer.
  • often fast growing & spread quickly.
• non-small cell lung cancer:

  There're three main types of non-small cell lung cancer.

  • the cancer cells appear bigger under a microscope.

  
• There're no new cases of skin cancer diagnosed in males younger than 15 years of age might be because:

  • More use of sunscreen
  • Little cell damage

  Little exposure to:

  • ionising radiation
  • the sunlight
  • UV light
  • carcinogens

  
• Survival rates for all types of cancers have improved over the last 20 years:

  • Improved treatment / drugs
  • earlier diagnosis
  • improved cancer screening
  • improved patient / doctor knowledge of dangers / treatments.