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Topic Links |
Breast and
Cervical Cancer Early Detection
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Cancer: A
Comprehensive Approach to Prevention and Control
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Cancer
Registries
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Colorectal
Cancer Early Detection
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Prostate
Cancer
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Reducing
the Burden of Ovarian Cancer
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Skin Cancer
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Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States,
contributing to one of every four deaths per year. But the real tragedy is
that cancer need not be a leading cause of death. Many cancers are
preventable outright, through measures such as exercising regularly, eating
well, avoiding tobacco, or taking simple precautions (such as wearing
sunscreen and hats to prevent the U.V. exposure that leads to skin cancer).
Other cancers—such as colorectal cancer, cervical cancer, and many breast
cancers—can be treated much more successfully when they are detected early.
To improve the odds that more cancers will be prevented or at least detected
as early as possible, CDC promotes healthy habits as well as early screening
and detection.
In some cases, screening tests are not yet available (as for ovarian
cancer) or are not yet linked to better survival outcomes (as with prostate
cancer). In these areas, CDC works with partners to support research that
will help unlock more of the clinical and demographic puzzles of why certain
cancers strike some individuals and populations and not others, and how new
knowledge about risk can be translated into prevention and survival. CDC's
surveillance efforts—such as support for cancer registries—are an important
contributor to new knowledge and understanding.
The word "cancer" encompasses many different types of cancer—breast,
colorectal, prostate, skin, ovarian, lung—each with diverse affected
populations; detection and treatment issues; providers; and other
characteristics. One of CDC's goals is to strengthen overall cancer efforts
by bringing these many forces together to create a strong, effective
presence, especially at the state level. We are optimistic that these
efforts will help topple cancer from its perch near the top of the list of
causes of death.
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