The five most common cancers in men: strategies for prevention
Revised February 2000
Original version published in MEN Magazine 1997; June: 10-11, 23
Alex Vasquez, D.C., N.D.
INTRODUCTION
This article will describe the five most common cancers in men and will provide simple, readily-available, and effective strategies for the prevention of these cancers. Upcoming articles in this column will describe other types of cancer and will provide additional information on a variety of important health issues.
Cancer trends—a quick overview
Cancer is a major cause of pain and suffering and is second only to heart disease as a cause of early death. Yet while the incidence of death from heart disease has been declining over the past few years, the incidence of death from cancer has been steadily increasing. Cancer caused about 17% of deaths in 1967, but it now accounts for more than 24% of deaths. It is alarming and sad, but true; about 33% of Americans—one out of every three people—will get cancer. The percentage of patients who are alive five years after being diagnosed with cancer (five year survival rate) is about 50%—that is, at five years, about half of the cancer patients are alive, and the other half are dead. Although some cancers are more deadly than others and some cancers have a high cure rate, the overall odds are not very encouraging—an average 50% chance of death within five years of diagnosis is a grim forecast.
Given the high prevalence of cancer, and all of the cost, stress, suffering, and pain that is often involved, we should consider the simple steps that we can take to reduce our risk of this disease. Surprisingly, many of the most effective measures of cancer prevention are easy, convenient, and can actually save us money over the long term. Just imagine—you can have a longer, happier, healthier life with more money in your pocket! : you have to be willing to look at your life to identify your unhealthy habits; you have to be willing to make some reasonable changes, and you have to be willing to stick with the new healthy habits until they become integrated into your life. The decision to change is easy; the transition can be difficult, but the rewards are well worth it. Any man can do it.
Common cancers—description and prevention
The following sections describe the most common cancers, their survival rates, and risk factors. Of course, this information is gathered from statistics and studies involving huge numbers of people—any individual might be very different from the average. Also, the treatments used are usually the conventional medical treatments; statistics for patients using alternative methods of cancer treatment are not generally kept by the major hospitals and the groups who perform the large studies. Generally speaking, early detection improves survival in essentially all cancers.
1. Prostate cancer: Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men and, after lung cancer, is the second leading cause of cancer-related death in men. It is the second leading overall cause of death in men, after heart disease. Prostate cancer develops in approximately 1 in 8 men and is most common in men over age 65. On the average, five year survival is 78%—yet when prostate cancer is detected early the survival rate increases to 92%. Prostate cancer is more common in black men than in white men, and the risk for prostate cancer increases with frequent consumption of fats (especially animal fats), broiled meats, and fried foods. Risk of prostate cancer decreases with frequent consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables, olive oil, fish oil, soy products such as tofu, and high-fiber foods such as cereals and whole grains. The risk for prostate cancer can also be reduced by a program of regular exercise.
2. Lung cancer: Lung cancer accounts for more cancer deaths than any other cancer and is the second most common type of cancer in men. The average five year survival rate for people diagnosed with lung cancer is only 13% but increases to 46% if the cancer is detected early. Since the major risk factor for lung cancer is cigarette smoking, not smoking or stopping smoking cigarettes is your best bet for avoiding lung cancer. Even if you have smoked for years, you can significantly reduce your risk of getting lung cancer if you stop smoking now. Besides cigarette smoking, other important risk factors include inhalation of asbestos, dust from minerals or radioactive materials, air pollution, and consumption of a diet high in fat. Risk of lung cancer is decreased with frequent consumption of yellow-green vegetables.
3. Colon and rectum cancer: Cancer of the colon and rectum, also called colorectal cancer (the rectum is the end part of the colon), is the third most deadly and third most common cancer in men. Five year survival is approximately 56%, but jumps to as high as 92% if the disease is detected early. Risk for colorectal cancer is increased by frequent consumption of alcohol, fats (especially animal fats), broiled or overcooked meats, gravy, dried fish, bacon, and fried foods. Risk of colon cancer decreases with regular exercise and consumption of calcium, magnesium, and high-fiber foods such as cereals and whole grains.
4. Bladder cancer: Bladder cancer is the fourth most common cancer in men. It is twice as common in whites as in blacks. Five year survival averages 79%, increasing to 91% when the cancer is detected early, decreasing to 9% when the cancer is detected late. Risk factors for bladder cancer include cigarette smoking, a diet that is high in protein, and long-term exposure to certain chemicals (chemical dyes, arylamines). Risk of bladder cancer is decreased by frequent intake of water and yellow-green vegetables and may also be decreased by drinking tea and avoiding obesity.
5. Blood and lymph tissue cancer (not including the leukemias): Cancers of the blood and lymph tissues include Hodgkin’s disease, Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and multiple myeloma. As a group they are the fifth most common cancers in men, and they are the fourth most common cause of cancer death in men. Risk factors for Hodgkin’s disease and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma are not very well understood but appear to include immune suppression (due to medications or to other diseases) and chronic infection, especially with the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), the virus that causes infectious mononucleosis, or “mono.” (Infection with this virus is common, and certainly not everyone who has been infected with EBV goes on to develop cancer.) Risk factors for multiple myeloma are also not well identified, but appear to include exposure to radiation and herbicides (“weed killers”). So, your best bet for avoiding these cancers appears to be trying to stay generally healthy and avoiding exposure to herbicides and unnecessary radiation.
conclusions
After reading the above descriptions of the most common cancers in men, you probably noticed a recurrent theme--namely that the risk for developing the major cancers is often related to a man's lifestyle choices: risk is increased with smoking tobacco and eating a diet high in fat and meats, while the risk for cancer is decreased with frequent exercise and eating a diet that is low in fat yet high in fiber, yellow and green vegetables, and soy products. To a very large extent, this puts you in control of your health. You probably also noticed that early detection of cancer almost always increases survival. This puts you in a position of control with regard to your health because you—and only you—can schedule yourself for annual physical examinations and health check-ups. All men, especially after the age of 50, should have regular visits (at least every year) with a good doctor (ND, DC, MD, or DO) who is open-minded and knowledgeable about preventive healthcare, nutrition, and various treatment options. All men—young and old alike—should get tested for conditions such as high blood pressure (in young and old men), testicular problems (especially in young men), prostate problems (mostly in older men), and iron overload (in young and old men).
So, thus far in this article, we’ve covered many aspects of a healthy lifestyle that can help you reduce your risk of cancer and other diseases. But there is a financial part to being healthier—certain parts of the program save you money (such as buying less tobacco and alcohol), while others cost you money (such as going to the doctor). For those of us without medical insurance, we do have to be careful with our spending if we are to have money to spend on taking care of our health. But by forgoing some unnecessary items and unhealthy habits, we can have more money to spend on maintaining our well-being. For example, a man who smokes a pack of cigarettes per day and drinks two six-packs of beer per week might not think of how much his habits cost him in terms of dollars (or health). But not only is he greatly increasing his risk for illness, at $3 per day for cigarettes and $10 per week for beer, his is easily spending over $1,600 per year on his habits—habits that may ultimately kill him. A better choice might be to spend that same money on getting a health check-up and some exercise gear—these choices would be more healthy and might actually bring more pleasure and enjoyment into his life. What we spend our money on reflects our priorities and how we feel about ourselves. By making our own self-care a priority, we not only reap rewards in terms of health and energy, but perhaps more importantly we affirm our being and our right to a good life, and we honor ourselves when we treat ourselves well.
