The most aggressive cancer types aren’t necessarily the ones that kill the most people but the ones with the lowest survival rates!
According to the World Health Organization, a.k.a. WHO, the three cancers that killed the most people worldwide recently were lung cancer, colorectal cancer, and liver cancer. Breast and prostate cancer are considered to be the most common types of cancer we hear about.
But while they’re brutal, those aren’t necessarily the deadliest cancers when it comes to their individual survival rates.
The number of individuals whom a given type of cancer kills yearly depends on how many have it and what percentage of those diagnosed with the cancer survive. The most aggressive cancer types are those with the most inferior survival rates.
Researchers in the field determine these survival rates with a measure called five-year relative survival.
This is the percentage of individuals who are expected to survive the effects of a certain type of cancer, excluding their risk of other likely causes of death, for five years past their diagnosis, according to the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program, a National Cancer Institute initiative that collects, examines and reports data on US cancer cases.
So, on that note, let’s talk about the 6 most aggressive cancer types in the US, according to SEER five-year relative survival data.
Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer is most common in men that are over the age of 65. Nearly 250,000 men were diagnosed with this aggressive cancer type in 2020, and over 34,000 men lost their lives to it.
Screening for this aggressive cancer type is available, and there are adequate treatment options. The good news is that over 98% of those who get prostate cancer can still survive five years after their diagnosis. But what about detection and treatment?
A specialist can detect prostate cancer through a blood test that examines for specific antigens in your body. They can also check for prostate problems during your annual physical exam.
If you’re diagnosed with prostate cancer, your physician will discuss with you a treatment plan you can follow. There are also surgical options, radiation, and chemotherapy available.
Breast Cancer
Breast cancer is probably one of the most common cancers in individuals over 60 years of age. More than 285,000 women were diagnosed with this aggressive cancer type recently, and over 44,000 thousand women passed away from the disease.
There is some good news, though. Due to advances in treatment and screening, nearly 90% of those with breast cancer will live 5 years past their diagnosis.
As far as detection and treatment, the best way for you to detect this aggressive cancer type is by getting yearly mammograms. These screenings help doctors catch cancer in its earlier stages when treatment is the most straightforward.
If you’re diagnosed with this type of cancer, speak to your doctor about what kind of treatment options you have. Surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation can all be used to treat breast cancer successfully.
Lung Cancer
Unfortunately, over half of the individuals who get this aggressive cancer type are more than 70 years old. But even though there have been many advances in treating lung cancer, it remains one of the deadliest cancers known to man. The 5-year survival rate is a mere 21%.
And studies show that more than 235,000 people were diagnosed with lung cancer in 2020. Out of those, 131,000 people passed away from the disease. So, it’s vital for seniors to get routine lung cancer screenings if they smoke or smoked for over 30 years before quitting.
Doctors can use CT scans to look at your lungs and detect any signs of this disease. The good news is that there have been quite a few new treatments for this aggressive cancer type in recent years called targeted therapies.
Certain medicines are used that specifically target cancerous cells. This is different than the traditional chemotherapies, which can impact healthy cells and many other parts of the body. So, if you have lung cancer, be sure to talk about your treatment options with your physician.
Colon Cancer
Over half of the individuals who get diagnosed with this aggressive cancer type are at least 67 years old. But due to accessible prevention strategies, colon cancer is a less common diagnosis than many other types of this disease.
Nevertheless, over 100,000 people were diagnosed with colon cancer back in 2020, and more than 50,000 people passed away due to the disease. 63% of those who get colon cancer live 5 or more years after getting a diagnosis like this.
As far as detection and treatment is concerned, the good news is that this type of cancer can be caught and prevented at the same time. There’s a test known as a colonoscopy can find pre-cancerous growths named polyps.
Your physician can remove them before they cause you any serious health concerns. If this aggressive cancer type does develop, though, you can speak about treatment options with your doctor.
Bladder Cancer
Over half of the individuals with bladder cancer are over 65 years old. Research reveals that back in 2020, over 83,000 people were diagnosed with bladder cancer, and over 17,000 people passed away from this illness.
More than 70% of those who have this type of cancer survive more than five years after they get a diagnosis. As of now, there are no recommended routine screenings for bladder cancer. Nevertheless, your physician may recommend testing if you have specific risk factors.
These can include a history of bladder cancer or other bladder issues. There are many types of treatment options for bladder cancer, including radiation, surgery, and chemotherapy.
Speak with your doctor about the options available to you. And be on the lookout for symptoms of this aggressive cancer type, including:
-Painful urination
-Blood in urine
-Having to urinate more than usual, including overnight
-Difficulties urinating or a weak urine stream
-Urgency: feeling like you need to go immediately
Pancreatic Cancer
The bad news is that there aren’t any steadfast screening prospects for pancreatic cancer yet. So, those who are at risk should have regular ultrasounds and MRI/CT imaging tests done. Individuals with this type of cancer usually need chemotherapy and surgery.
Radiation can be used to reduce tumors when they can’t be removed. But you should be aware that not all doctors agree with this method. Surgery to fix this aggressive cancer type is only possible in up to 20% of cases.
Pancreatic cancer is aggressive, and the bad news is that it often proves to be fatal and causes painful symptoms like:
-Ascites, which is when fluid builds up in your abdomen
-Stomach pain
-Bleeding
-Blocked bile ducts
So what’s the verdict? Which is the MOST fatal cancer today?
If defining “most fatal” cancer means which cancer has the worst 5-year survival rate, then it would be a tie between malignant mesothelioma and pancreatic cancer. Malignant mesothelioma is a relatively rare cancer in the US, with about 3,000 cases a year.
Yet there are a few differences in survival rates for these two cancers, depending on the stage when it’s diagnosed. For example, the 5-year survival rate for localized pancreatic cancer is 44%, and localized malignant mesothelioma is 22%.
But, when we combine the statistics for all three stages (localized, regional, and distant), both types of cancer have a 5-year relative survival rate of 12%.
Now, keep in mind that these survival rates don’t apply for after diagnosis, which is when the cancer spreads, grows, or returns after treatment.
Treatments improve as time goes on, and these numbers are based on those who were diagnosed and treated at least five years earlier.
We hope you found this article on aggressive cancer types informative. For more like this, we highly recommend you also read: 12 Scary Bladder Cancer Risk Factors You MUST Know About
