Numbers & Trends
This is the second leading cause of death in the United States.
cancer
Cancer screening is strictly defined as testing performed only on this group of people.
asymptomatic individuals
Average-risk individuals should now begin colorectal cancer screening at this age.
45
This is the most common cause of cancer death specifically for women between the ages of 40 and 50.
breast cancer
This is the most common tumor found in men between the ages of 15 and 34.
testicular cancer
This term refers to the number of current cases (both new and existing) within a population.
prevalence
This pitfall occurs when earlier detection makes it appear that survival has improved, even if the ultimate time of death is not changed.
lead time bias
Annual Low Dose CT (LDCT) screening for lung cancer is recommended for adults aged 50–80 who have at least this many pack-years of smoking history.
20 pack-years
Women with mutations in these two specific genes have a 60% to 85% lifetime risk of developing breast cancer
BRCA1 and BRCA2
The usual cut-off for cancer detection when using the Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) blood test is this many micrograms per liter.
4 μg/l
Successful treatments will increase this specific statistic if the incidence of the disease remains the same.
prevalence
This bias involves detecting slow-growing cancers that would not have caused the patient’s death, leading to potential overdiagnosis.
length time bias
This virus is the primary risk factor for cervical cancer and can be prevented by a vaccine typically recommended for ages 9–26.
Human Papillomavirus (HPV)
The American Cancer Society recommends that high-risk women (such as those with BRCA mutations) receive a mammogram AND this imaging test every year starting at age 30.
breast MRI
These two biomarkers are used to monitor patients after they have received treatment for testicular cancer.
Beta HCG and AFP (Alpha-fetoprotein)
Among both men and women in the U.S., this is the number one cause of cancer mortality
lung and bronchus cancer
This three-letter system is the standard used to stage the extent of a cancer's spread
TNM system (Tumor, Nodes, Metastases)
This screening method for colorectal cancer can decrease incidence by over 50% but requires a full colon clean-out and patient sedation.
colonoscopy
This life event, especially if it occurs before the age of 30, is considered a protective factor against breast cancer.
pregnancy
Also known as Nephroblastoma, this pediatric kidney tumor occurs most often in children between ages 2 and 5.
Wilms Tumor
This racial group faces the highest death rate and shortest survival for cancer in America
African Americans
Unlike staging, which identifies the "where," this histological process determines how aggressive the cancer cells appear under a microscope.
grading
For women aged 21–29, the USPSTF recommends this specific screening test every three years.
Pap cytology
A large randomized trial in Shanghai concluded that intensive instruction in this practice did not reduce mortality but did increase the number of benign biopsies
Breast Self-Exam (BSE)
This syndrome, which includes aniridia (absence of the iris) and mental retardation, is famously associated with Wilms Tumor.
WAGR syndrome