As a guy, you might’ve grown up learning that you can fix a cut if you just rub some dirt in it, or that you can simply “walk it off” when you twist an ankle. Unfortunately, not everything has such easy remedies, especially when it comes to cancer. Cancer is extremely scary, and very serious, and it requires a lot more than dirt and walking to recover, so it’s important to be aware of it. It's especially important to be aware that the most common cancer for men is prostate cancer. Here's a detailed list of all of the most common cancers for males.
Just about everyone knows how extremely serious cancer is, yet, of course, most people think that it would never happen to them. However, with something as serious as cancer, being careful wouldn’t hurt as a little caution can go a long way. So, to help you boost your awareness and caution, we’ve compiled a list of common male cancers, and here they are in no particular order of how common or serious they might be:
· Prostate Cancer – Prostate cancer is by far the most common cancer among men in the U.S., as it accounts for over a fourth of the 855,000 male cancer diagnoses, according to 2014 statistics. Prostate cancer is most common among African-American men, but not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight and healthy diet limiting high-fat dairy items, and remaining physically active can help prevent it.
· Lung Cancer – Lung cancer, on the other hand, is one of the deadliest cancers for men. It was estimated in 2014 that about 86,000 of the 116,000 men diagnosed with lung cancer would die from the disease. While lung cancer is best avoided by not smoking since 80% of lung cancer deaths are connecting to smoking, men can also suffer from lung cancer due to exposure from radon gas found in soil and building materials.
· Melanoma Skin Cancer – Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer among all people, but melanoma skin cancer is the deadliest form of skin cancer and is moderately common among men. Skin cancer is best prevented by protecting yourself from the sun’s ultraviolet rays by doing things like wearing sleeves, using sunscreen, staying out of tanning beds, wearing hats and sunglasses, and just being smart about skin damage in general.
· Colorectal Cancer – Colorectal cancer affects almost 100,000 men in the U.S. per year. It has a strong tendency to affect mostly men over the age of 50 years old. Colorectal cancer seems to be prevented by just living a healthy lifestyle in general. Factors like obesity, smoking, inactivity, use of drugs and alcohol, and a poor diet tend to be associated with most colorectal cancer diagnoses, so following healthy habits such as no smoking, drugs, or drinking can help as well as maintaining a healthy diet and regular exercise.
· Kidney Cancer – While the majority of kidney cancer diagnoses occurs to men over the age of 60 years or older, it still affects almost 50,000 men per year. The risk of suffering from kidney cancer increases with factors such as obesity, high blood pressure, and smoking. So, again, living a healthy lifestyle can go a long way in preventing kidney cancer.
· Leukemia – Leukemia is a serious type of cancer as it affects your immune system. More than 30,000 men each year are typically diagnosed with leukemia. It usually affects your bone marrow, white blood cells, and lymph nodes. You can decrease you risk of being diagnosed with leukemia by not smoking and avoiding exposure to chemicals such as benzene.
· Bladder Cancer – Bladder cancer affects over 50,000 men in the U.S., and typically occurs in men over 70 years old. Smoking increases the risk at any age, so quitting smoking is one of the best things you can do to prevent bladder cancer. Also, you can decrease the risk of suffering from bladder cancer by drinking more water, and other liquids, and eating more fruits and vegetables.
At the end of the day, cancer is never a thing that you should be carefree about. These are just some of the cancers that are common among men, and there are many other forms of cancer. Although they might be rarer, they still warrant caution as they are still very serious and dangerous, like testicular cancer and prostate cancer. With something so dangerously serious, a little awareness won’t hurt you, and it certainly won’t affect your man pride to be more cautious about them.