Be Clear on Cancer

What Is Cancer?

In simple terms, cancer is when cells in the body grow uncontrollably and spread to other areas of the body. It can start in almost any organ or tissue in the body - there are more than 200 types of cancer and each is diagnosed and treat in a particular way. 

Cancer as a whole is now the leading cause of death in the UK, having overtaken cardiovascular diseases. Cancer is the cause of 27 - 28% of all deaths in England on average. 

1 in 2 people will develop some form of cancer during their lifetime. In the UK, the 4 most common types of cancer are: 

  • Breast cancer
  • Lung cancer
  • Prostate cancer
  • Bowel cancer

Cancer cells

Reducing Your Risk

There is no definitive way to protect yourself from cancer. Anyone of any age, race or gender can develop a form of cancer.

However, you can significantly reduce your risk of developing cancer by making simple changes to your lifestyle. These include: 

  • Not smoking
  • Eating a healthy, balanced diet 
  • Keeping a healthy weight
  • Exercising regularly 
  • Not drinking too much alcohol 
  • Protecting your skin from the sun 

Types of Cancer

As well as developing in different parts of the body, the type of cells that become cancer can also be different. 

  • Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC) - also known as epidermoid carcinoma, these cells form on the surface of the skin, on the lining of hollow organs or on the lining of the respiratory and digestive tracts. It is one of the largest subsets of cancer. 
  • Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC) - the most common type of skin cancer. It often appears as a painless raised area of the skin. It may also present as a raised area with ulceration. It grows slowly and can damage the tissue around it, but is unlikely to spread to other areas or result in death. 
  • Adenocarcinoma - a type of cancer that starts in the glands that line your organs. It is the most common type of cancer involving organs. 
  • Transitional Cell Carcinoma (TCC) - a type of cancer than arises from the transitional epithelium, tissue that lines the inner surface of hollow organs. It is the most common type of bladder cancer and second most common type of kidney cancer. 

Spotting Signs

It is important to be familiar with your body's normal processes and look, as a change to a process or appearance or an unusual, unexplained symptom can sometimes be an early sign of cancer. 

Changes such as: 

  • A lump that suddenly appears.
  • Unexplained bleeding.
  • Changes to your bowel habits. 
  • Cough/chest pain/breathlessness that persists for 3 weeks or more. 
  • A mole that changes shape, colour or size or starts itching or bleeding.

It is especially important to be vigilant if you have had 2 or more close relatives develop cancer, or have been diagnosed with a condition that means you're at higher risk. 

Waiting Times

Accurately diagnosing cancer can take weeks or months. As cancer often develops slowly over several years, waiting for a few weeks will not usually impact the effectiveness of the treatment. 

If your GP suspects that you may have cancer, you will be referred to what is known as a 2 Week Wait (2ww) pathway.

This is an urgent referral and you should be seen by a specialist to investigate your symptoms within 2 weeks and confirm or rule out cancer within 28 days.

Treatment should begin within 62 days of your referral if cancer is confirmed. If you have been diagnosed with cancer without an urgent referral, treatment should start within 31 days of being diagnosed. 

Getting Treatment

Surgery is usually the first treatment for most types of cancers, as a tumour is a solid mass that can usually be surgically removed. 

2 other common treatment methods are: 

  • Chemotherapy - there are many different types of chemotherapy medicine, but they all work in a similar way. It can be given intravenously or in tablet form. It uses powerful chemicals to kill cells that are in the process of dividing, stopping them from reproducing and preventing them from spreading. 
  • Radiotherapy - used in the early stages of cancer or after it has started to spread. It is a treatment where high doses of radiation are used to kill cancer cells and shrink tumours. It can be given externally by using a machine to aim the radiation beams at the cancer, or internally via injections, drinks, or capsules or by temporarily implanting a piece of radioative metal inside your body near the cancer. 

Cervical Cancer

A cervical screening test (previously known as a smear test) is a method of detecting abnormal cells on the cervix. The cervix is the entrance to the womb from the vagina.

Detecting and removing abnormal cervical cells can prevent cervical cancer

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/changes-to-cervical-cancer-screening

http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/cervical-screening-test/Pages/introduction.aspx

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/cervical-screening-programme-overview

Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust

https://www.jostrust.org.uk/video/you-guide-cervical-screening-smear-test

https://www.jostrust.org.uk/get-involved/campaign/cervical-cancer-prevention-week/smearforsmear

https://www.jostrust.org.uk/resources/materials/information

https://www.jostrust.org.uk/get-involved/campaign/cervical-screening-awareness-week

Cancer Research UK:
http://publications.cancerresearchuk.org/search-results/search-results.html?filter_type=6&filter_action=0&filter_name=SearchTerm&filter_value=cervical+screening&x=0&y=0

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/cervical-screening-programme-overview

Head and Neck Cancers

European Head & Neck Cancer Awareness Week:
http://makesensecampaign.eu/

Cancer Research UK:
http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/cancers-in-general/cancer-questions/information-on-throat-cancer

http://publications.cancerresearchuk.org/search-results/search-results.html?filter_type=6&filter_action=0&filter_name=SearchTerm&filter_value=smoking&x=0&y=0 

http://publications.cancerresearchuk.org/publicationformat/formatleaflet/alcoholleaflet.html

http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/mouth-cancer/symptoms

http://publications.cancerresearchuk.org/publicationformat/formatleaflet/mouthleaflet.html

NHS: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/head-and-neck-cancer/

Macmillan:
http://www.macmillan.org.uk/information-and-support/head-and-neck-cancers

http://www.macmillan.org.uk/information-and-support/head-and-neck-cancers/mouth-cancer

Throat Cancer Foundation:
http://www.throatcancerfoundation.org/

Oracle Cancer Trust:
http://oraclecancertrust.org/about-us/what-is-head-and-neck-cancer/

Mouth Cancer Foundation:
http://www.mouthcancerfoundation.org/

Skin Cancer

Increase your awareness about skin cancer prevention and early detection of changes in moles.

Dermatologists have identified that 8 out of 10 people are failing to adequately apply sunscreen before going out in the sun.

Key messages are:

  • Be sun aware - use sun screen before going out into the sun
  • Be mole aware – monitor existing moles for changes

Leaflets

Skin Cancer Awareness: ABCD for checking moles. Click here to download this leaflet

Be sun smart: http://publications.cancerresearchuk.org/downloads/product/HM_HL_Sunsmart_June_2015.pdf

Detecting skin cancer: http://publications.cancerresearchuk.org/cancertype/melanoma/skinleaflet.html

Patient Information: https://be.macmillan.org.uk/be/s-372-sun-awareness-week.aspx

Resources

British Association of Dermatologists:
http://www.bad.org.uk/for-the-public/sun-awareness-campaign/sun-awareness-week

http://www.bad.org.uk/for-the-public/sun-awareness-campaign/sun-awareness-leaflets-and-posters

http://www.bad.org.uk/for-the-public/sun-awareness-campaign/downloadable-leaflets-and-posters

http://www.bad.org.uk/for-the-public/skin-cancer

Sun awareness from Macmillan:
https://be.macmillan.org.uk/be/showsection.aspx?SectionID=372&SEName=sun-awareness-week

Skin Cancer from Cancer Research UK:
http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/skin-cancer

Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in women in the UK, but anyone can get cancer - including men. 

Breast cancer starts in the breast tissue, which everyone has in their chest. Signs of breast cancer may include: 

  • A lump in the breast
  • A change in the shape of the breast
  • Dimpling of the skin
  • Fluid coming from the nipple
  • A red or scaly patch of skin 

For women, a breast screening (mammogram) can pick up breast cancer that is too small to feel or see. You will get your first invite between the ages of 50 and 53, and then be invited to one every 3 years until you turn 71. 

Although it is very rare, men can get breast cancer,. You may be at risk if:

  • You have other family members who have had breast or ovarian cancer
  • If you have a condition, have damaged or had surgery to your testicles
  • Work in a hot environment like steel works
  • Have higher levels of oestrogen, which can be more likely if you are overweight, have long-term damage to your liver or have a condition called Klinefelter Syndrome
  • Have had radiotherapy to your chest before

Around 55,000 women and 400 men are diagnosed with breast cancer each year in the UK. Breast cancer survival has doubled in the last 50 years in the UK, with 3 in 4 women (around 75.9%) diagnosed with breast cancer surviving  their disease for 10 or more years. In the 1970s, this was only about 40%. 

Bowel Cancer

Bowel cancer, also known as colorectal cancer, can be found anywhere in the large bowel, which includes the colon and rectum. 

75 - 95% of bowel cancer cases occur in people with little or not genetic risk, so it is important to be vigilant of your bowel habits. Symptoms of bowel cancer can include: 

  • Change in your poo that are not usual for you, such as softer poo, diarrhoea or constipation 
  • Needing to poo more or less often than suual 
  • Blood in your poo, which may look red or black 
  • Bleeding from your bottom 
  • Feeling like you need to poo even if you have just gone 
  • Unexplained weight loss
  • Bloating 
  • A lump in your tummy or tummy pain

Bowel cancer can also cause anaemia, whcih can make you feel very tired, short of breath or give you headaches. 

You should speak to a GP immediately if you notice blood in your poo, or if you have any other symptoms that last 3 weeks or more. 

Depending on your symptoms, your GP may feel you tummy and ask to do a rectal examination, where they put a gloved finger inside your bottom to check for lumps.

You may also be asked for a stool sample. You will be given a home test kit called a FIT (faecal immunochemical test) to collect a small sample of poo and send it to a lab. These check if there is blood present. 

Your GP may then get you an urgent referral to see a specialist and have more tests. 

If you are aged 54 to 74, you will automatically get a bowel cancer screening test (which is a FIT) every 2 years. 

Lung Cancer

Lung cancer is one of the most common and deadliest forms of cancer worldwide. More than 43,000 people are diagnosed with it every year in the UK. 

Early lung cancer usually has no signs or symptoms and can only be found with medical imaging. 

As the cancer develops, many people with the condition eventually see symptoms such as: 

  • A persistent cough and/or breathlessness
  • Coughing up blood
  • Unexplained tiredness and weight loss
  • Aches and pains when breathing or coughing 

Lung cancer mainly affects older people and is rare in people under 40. Although people who have never smoked can develop lung cancer, smoking is the most common cause, attributed to more than 70 out of 100 cases. This is because smoking involves inhaling chemicals that damage cells in the airway. These cells gain the ability to multiply unchecked and cause a tumour to grow. 

It can also be caused by exposure to hazardous substances like asbestos or radon gas. It can also be caused by genetic mutations that arise by chance.