Cancer Sourcebook: Basic Consumer Health Information About Major Forms and Stages of Cancer, Featuring Facts about Head and Neck Cancers, Lung . Skin Cancers, Bone Can (Health Reference)

In recent years, major advances have been made in the early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer. While cancer research has yielded significant progress, much work remains to be done. Cancer is still the second leading cause of death among Americans, surpassed only by heart disease. Incidence rates for some types of cancer-including breast cancer and lung cancer in women, cancers of the prostate and testes in men, leukemia, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, myeloma, melanoma, and cancers of the thyroid, kidney, and esophagus-are rising. Costs associated with cancer treatment continue to escalate, and racial and socioeconomic disparities in cancer rates and deaths remain unexplained.

Cancer Sourcebook, Fifth Edition provides updated information to help readers understand cancer risk factors, cancer prevention efforts, and the ongoing effort to develop better treatments. It offers descriptions of the major forms and stages of cancers affecting specific organs and the respiratory, nervous, lymphatic, circulatory, skeletal, gastrointestinal, and reproductive systems. It also describes special concerns related to metastatic, recurrent, and advanced cancers. A glossary of cancer terms and directories of organizations able to provide additional information are also included.