Hesperian Health Guides
Other Common Cancers
Contents
Lung cancer
|
| Smoking causes cancer. |
The signs of lung cancer are the same as tuberculosis (TB). Seek medical help if you have these signs
Lung cancer is the most common cancer, and it is also the most preventable. It is caused usually by smoking tobacco. No matter how long you have smoked, quitting at any time lessens your chance of getting lung cancer. Cigarette smoking also causes other cancers. People living or working with someone who smokes can also be harmed, even if they do not smoke themselves. Lung cancer can also be caused by breathing other types of smoke, for example, smoke from vehicles, factories, and cooking fires.
Lung cancer does not usually affect people until they are over 40 years old. The signs (coughing up blood, losing weight, difficulty breathing) appear when the cancer is advanced and difficult to cure. Surgery to remove part of the lung, chemotherapy medicines, and radiation therapy are all used to treat lung cancer.
Mouth and throat cancer
Mouth and throat cancer can be caused by smoking, chewing tobacco, and some types of human papilloma virus (HPV). If you have hoarseness, pain when swallowing, or a sore throat or sores in your mouth that do not heal, get medical advice.
More Information
hepatitis B
HAVE SAFER SEX
DO NOT SHARE
NEEDLES and
GET IMMUNIZED!
Cancer of the liver
Some people who become infected with hepatitis B or C develop cancer of the liver years later. Signs of liver cancer are a swollen abdomen and general weakness. See a health worker if you think you may have liver cancer.
Hepatitis B and C can be prevented by having safer sex and not sharing needles. Also, there is a vaccine to prevent hepatitis B. Babies can be vaccinated at birth. Adults can be vaccinated at any time.
Give hepatitis B vaccine to newborns and to adults who were not vaccinated as children.
Cancer of the stomach
More Information
STIsCancer of the stomach usually occurs after age 40. Usually there are no signs until it is advanced. Surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy medicines are all used as treatments.
Sometimes cancer of the stomach is caused by a bacteria (H. pylori). This bacteria can be treated with medicine, and the treatment can prevent cancer before it starts. The signs are similar to indigestion or heartburn. If you get these signs often, or for a long time, talk with a health worker about getting tested and treated.