Infographic Facts About Cancer

Linus Pauling, a two-time Nobel Laureate once said, “Everyone should know that the “war on Cancer” is largely a fraud” . Perhaps nothing strikes at the very heart of an individual quite like hearing the word “cancer”. And while survival rates have increased in recent years, there’s still no denying cancer is becoming the number 1 killer of the human species. Below, some facts and statistics have been complied to better educate you on this fearsome killer.

Via: Radiology Technician Schools

Cancer is a class of diseases in which a cell, or a group of cells display uncontrolled growth (division beyond the normal limits), invasion (intrusion on and destruction of adjacent tissues), and sometimes metastasis (spread to other locations in the body via lymph or blood). These three malignant properties of cancers differentiate them from benign tumors, which are self-limited, and do not invade or metastasize. Most cancers form a tumor but some, like leukemia, do not. The branch of medicine concerned with the study, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of cancer is oncology.

Cancer affects people at all ages with the risk for most types increasing with age. It caused about 13% of all human deaths in 2007 (7.6 million). Cancers are primarily an environmental disease with 90-95% of cases due to lifestyle and environmental factors and 5-10% due to genetics. Common environmental factors leading to cancer death include: tobacco (25-30%), diet and obesity (30-35%), infections (15-20%), radiation, stress, lack of physical activity, environmental pollutants. These environmental factors cause abnormalities in the genetic material of cells.