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August 29-30, 2012
HEALTHY LIFE: CANCER
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chemotherapy to radiation treatment for bladder
cancer could help reduce the risk of recurrence,
when compared to radiation alone. One of the
study’s leaders was quoted in the NCI Cancer
Bulletin as saying the findings could lead to fewer
patients needing to have their bladders removed
through surgery.
The National Cancer Institute states there is inad-
equate evidence to determine whether screening
tests for bladder and urothelial cancers has an
impact on mortality.
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Non-Hodgkin lymphoma
ESTIMATED NEW CASES IN 2012: 70,130
These cancers of the white blood cells, lympho-
cytes, can affect people of any age. There are many
types, but are often noticeable by larger than nor-
mal lymph nodes along with fever and weight loss.
The lymph system is part of the body’s immune
system, which means adult non-Hodgkin lymphoma
can start throughout the entire body and spread to
organs and tissue.
Risk factors of non-Hodgkin lymphomas include
being older, white, a man, having an immune sys-
tem disorder or disease and being exposed to cer-
tain pesticides.
Physicians urge those with persistent symptoms
to visit a doctor for a potential screening.
Symptoms often include abdominal and chest pain,
swollen lymph nodes, fever, night sweats, fatigue
and weight loss. A number of procedures are used
to diagnose the disease, including body fluid tests,
imaging and tissue sampling.
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Kidney cancer
ESTIMATED NEW CASES IN 2012: 59,588
Most people diagnosed with renal cell carcino-
ma, a common form of kidney cancer, will be 55
and older.
Along with smoking and genetics, obesity and
high blood pressure are risk factors for kidney can-
cer. However, according to the National Institute of
Health, many people who get kidney cancer have
none of these common risk factors.
The American Cancer Society says there are no
recommended screening tests for kidney cancer
in those who are not at increased risk. Small
tumors of the kidney, because of the organ’s
depth in the body, are often not found during a
physical exam.
Those with symptoms including blood in the
urine, chronic side pain, weight loss and a lump in
the abdominal region should see a doctor, so if the
cancer is present, they can begin treatment as early
as possible.
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Thyroid cancer
ESTIMATED NEW CASES IN 2012: 56,460
Compared to other forms of cancer, thyroid can-
cers have a relatively high long-term survival rate of
nearly 100 percent for those diagnosed with either
stage I or stage II.
While most thyroid growths, a mass of tissue
known as a nodule, are not cancerous, some are.
Those malignant nodules can invade to nearby tis-
sues and organs, but can often be removed.
If a doctor suspects you might be suffering from
thyroid cancer, he or she may perform a number of
exams, including ultrasound, thyroid scan or blood
tests. However, a biopsy is the only sure way to
diagnose thyroid cancer, according to the National
Cancer Institute.
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Leukemia
ESTIMATED NEW CASES IN 2012: 47,150
Leukemia is one of the most common childhood
cancers, accounting for nearly one-third of all diag-
noses in children under 15, according to statistics
from a 2012 Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
report. Each year, 3,500 children are diagnosed
with a type of leukemia, a form of cancer that starts
in the tissue that forms blood.
Leukemia cells are abnormal cells created in the
bone marrow. Those cells don’t die as other cells
do, causing them to build up, making it harder for
normal blood cells to keep you healthy.
The disease affects men at a higher rate than
women, with 31 percent more males living with leu-
kemia than females. Doctors are not aware of the
causes of most cases of leukemia.
Treatment for blood cancers has significantly
improved over the last century because of chemo-
therapy.
Signs of acute leukemia include easy bruising,
bleeding, anemia-caused fatigue and poor healing
of minor cuts and infections.
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Endometrial cancer
ESTIMATED NEW CASES IN 2012: 47,130
Endometrial cancer begins in the lining of the uter-
us and is marked by abnormal bleeding from the
vagina, pelvic cramping, abdominal pain and post-
menopausal vaginal discharge.
A number of factors can increase the risk of endo-
metrial cancer, which most affects women between
the ages 60 and 70. Increased estrogen levels play a
large role, according to the A.D.A.M. Encyclopedia, as
does diabetes, infertility, obesity and beginning men-
struation at an early age.
Uterine cancer usually happens after menopause.
The most common form of treatment for cancer con-
tained to the uterus is a hysterectomy, removing the
womb through surgery.
A July 23 study in the American Journal of Epide-
miology found that women who have their last child
after 30 are at less risk of getting endometrial cancer.
The American Cancer Society says women who are
overweight or obese are 3.5 times more at risk of
getting uterine cancer than those at a healthy weight.
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Pancreatic cancer
ESTIMATED NEW CASES IN 2012: 43,920
Those with pancreatic cancer, known as a “silent
killer,” rarely survive long after their diagnoses, mak-
ing it one of the most aggressive forms of cancer.
The odds of living after five years with pancreatic
cancer are only 5.8 percent, according to the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
One of the biggest problems with treating the
disease is that it is often detected too late, because
symptoms, including weight loss and back pain, are
often overlooked.
The average age at the time of diagnosis is 72
years old and 90 percent of those with pancreatic
cancer are older than 55.
The American Cancer Society cites tobacco use
as a risk factor for pancreatic cancer. Because of
this, statistics showed that men were more likely to
develop the cancer than women, who as a whole
smoked less than men. Over time, as the number of
male smokers vs. the number of female smokers
evened out, the gap between male and female
diagnoses has closed. Exocrine pancreatic cancer is
also more common in people with diabetes, specifi-
cally type 2 diabetes.
In the top 5% nationwide
for patient safety
Adventist Medical Center is the recipient
of the Healthgrades Patient Safety
Excellence Award
™
. We’re named among
the top 5 percent of hospitals nationwide
for patient safety. Receiving top marks
from one of the nation’s leading health
rating authorities is just another way
Adventist Medical Center provides care
you can have faith in.
AdventistHealthNW.com/quality
– Healthgrades
®
Patient Safety Excellence Award,
™
2012