Image by Matheus Bertelli

According to the CDC, cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States, just after heart disease. The American Cancer Society expects an estimate of 1.9 million new cancer cases and 608,570 cancer deaths among Americans by the conclusion of 2021.

Cancer takes many lives each year, but which types of cancer take the most lives? And more importantly, how can we detect them early? 

The 5 most common types of cancer are:

Lung Cancer. Symptoms include cough (often with blood), chest pain, wheezing, and weight loss. These symptoms often don't appear until the cancer is advanced. Smoking is the most common cause of lung cancer.

Colorectal Cancer. Also known as bowel cancer, colon cancer, or rectal cancer,is it any cancer that affects the colon and rectum. This cancer often has no symptoms but can be detected by screening.

Breast Cancer. Common symptoms of breast cancer are new lump in the breast or underarm (armpit), thickening or swelling of part of the breast, or irritation/dimpling of breast skin. 

Pancreatic Cancer. Symptoms include stomach pain, biliary obstruction, bleeding, and ascites. The symptoms often do not appear until the later stages. They can also resemble the symptoms of other conditions, which can make diagnosis more challenging. 

Prostate Cancer. This disease usually affects older men and is most common among African Americans. Symptoms consist of complications with urinating. 

Lower Your Risk. There are proactive things you can do to help reduce the risk before symptoms begin. One of the most important steps is to get recommended screenings on a suggested basis. 

Screenings can save lives. Talk to your doctor about what is best for you. 

At USFHP we’ve developed incentive programs that give rewards to our members for meeting certain health goals. 

Visit usfhp.net or call 1-800-241-4848 and we will walk you quickly through the process and help you schedule an appointment with your primary care physician to get you tested right away.