Common Types Of Cancers For Men

Posted on: 11 November 2020

According to the National Cancer Institute, the most common types of cancers for men in 2020 included prostate, lung, and colorectal. These types of cancers accounted for 43 percent of all cancers in men. Keep reading for more information about these common types of cancers for men.

Prostate Cancer

The prostate is a small walnut-shaped gland in men that produces seminal fluid. When the cells in the prostate start to become abnormal, it can result in cancer.

Common symptoms of prostate cancer include:

  • Frequent urination
  • Trouble urinating or decreased urine flow
  • Blood in the urine or seminal fluid
  • Erectile dysfunction

Men who have these symptoms may need to undergo a digital rectal exam or a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test. To make a proper diagnosis, a doctor might also order an ultrasound or collect a sample of prostate tissue.

These tests, along with treatment, can be done at a cancer center. Treatment for prostate cancer includes prostate removal, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or hormone therapy.

Lung Cancer

This type of cancer starts in the lungs and can spread to the lymph nodes or other parts of the body. The most common cause of lung cancer is smoking. Exposure to secondhand smoke, as well as other pollutants, can also cause lung cancer.

Common symptoms of lung cancer include:

  • Coughing that doesn't go away
  • Coughing up blood
  • Chest pain
  • Wheezing
  • Weight loss

Men with these symptoms should go to a cancer center to get diagnosed. Cancer centers offer diagnostic tests, such as imaging tests, sputum cytology, and biopsies. Other tests may be needed to ensure cancer in the lungs has not spread to other parts of the body. These tests might include MRI or positron emission tomography (PET).

Treatment options for lung cancer include surgical removal of sections of the lung, or the entire lung, radiation therapy, stereotactic body radiotherapy, and targeted drug therapy.

Colorectal Cancer

This type of cancer occurs in the colon or the rectum. Growths called polyps sometimes grow in the inner lining of the colon or rectum. These polyps can become cancerous.

Common symptoms of colorectal cancer include:

  • Changes in bowel habits
  • Blood in the stool
  • Abdominal pain
  • Fatigue
  • Constipation 

Men who are concerned about this type of cancer should go to a cancer center for a blood test, diagnostic colonoscopy, proctoscopy, or a biopsy. These types of tests can help to detect colorectal cancer.

Treatment options for colorectal cancer in its earliest stages include removing polyps during a colonoscopy or with laparoscopic surgery. More advanced cases of colorectal cancer may require a partial colectomy, chemotherapy, or radiation therapy.

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