The American Cancer Society defines cancer as a group of diseases characterized by uncontrolled growth and the spread of abnormal cells. There are more than 100 different cancer diseases. In each, cancer cells divide haphazardly and typically create a non-structured mass or tumor. Unlike benign growths, which remain in the part of the body in which they start, malignant tumors will destroy the part of the body where they originate before spreading elsewhere, starting new growth and causing additional destruction. The organ where cancer cells originate determines the characteristics of those cells when they migrate to other parts of the body.

For people under age 85, cancer is the leading cause of death from disease in the United States. It is estimated that in 2004, 290,890 men and 272,810 women will die from cancer.

Half of all US males and one-third of all US females can expect to develop cancer in their lifetimes.

 

Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia

Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) is a subtype of acute myelogenous leukemia, a cancer of the blood and bone marrow.  In APL, an abnormal accumulation of immature granulocytes called promyelocytes in the bone marrow results in a reduction in the production of normal red blood cells and platelets, resulting in anemia and thrombocytopenia.  Either leukopenia (low white cell count) or leukocytosis (high white cell count) may be observed in the peripheral blood.  Symptoms include fatigue, weakness, shortness of breath from anemia, easy bruising and bleeding from thrombocytopenia and coagulopathy, and fever and infection from lack of normal white blood cells.

Gastric Cancer

Although gastric cancer (adenocarcimona of the stomach) is the tenth leading malignancy worldwide, it is the second leading cause of cancer death with approximately 800,000 reported each year. In the U.S., approximately 21,000 cases of gastric cancer are diagnosed each year and more than 10,000 deaths are attributable to this disease. Gastric cancer occurs with greatest frequency in the Far East, particularly in Japan and South Korea, as well as in South America and certain European countries. A number of risk factors have been identified and include familial adenomatous polyposis, gastric adenomas or high grade dysplasia, chronic atrophic gastritis, Helicobacter pylori infection, pernicious anemia and tobacco smoking. Possible risk factors are excess alcohol ingestion, high intake of salted, pickled or smoked foods, Peutz-Jeghers Syndrome and gastric ulcers.

 

Soft Tissue Sarcomas

Soft tissue sarcomas comprise a group of relatively uncommon tumors that may arise in a variety of sites that include soft tissues, skin muscle and internal organs. The extremities (50%), trunk and retroperitoneum (40%) or head and neck (10%) account for the sites where these tumors develop. The three major types of soft tissue sarcomas are leiomyosarcomas, malignant fibrous histiocytomas and liposarcomas. Most tumors arise in the soft tissues, including the heart, skin, uterus and retroperitoneum.

Approximately 25,000 new cases of soft tissue sarcomas will be diagnosed and nearly 10,000 deaths will be attributed to this cancer worldwide this year. Incidence rates rise exponentially with age with a modest peak in childhood due primarily to the increased development of embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma. Peak rates of other soft tissue sarcomas occur in individuals 75 years and older, except for uterine leiomyosarcomas, which reach peak incidence in women between ages 40 and 50 years. In general, African-Americans have a higher rate of soft tissue sarcoma development than Caucasians.

Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia

Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) is a cancer of the blood in which too many granulocytes are produced in the bone marrow. In 95% of cases, the disease is caused by a chromosomal translocation resulting in the fusion of the Bcr and Abl genes. The resulting Bcr-Abl gene product is the major driver of the disease. The American Cancer Society estimates that about 4,600 patients were diagnosed with CML in 2005 and that 850 patients died of the disease in the same year. The prevalence of CML in the United States is estimated to be above 20,000.

 

Small Cell Lung Cancer

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a fast growing type of lung cancer that tends to spread more quickly than non-small cell lung cancer. SCLC usually starts in the bronchi in the center of the chest and can grow quickly and spread rapidly to other parts of the body. There are three different types of SCLC; small cell carcinoma (oat cell cancer), mixed small cell/large cell carcinoma, and combined small cell carcinoma. The traditional staging system is usually not used for SCLC. Instead, patients are classified as having either limited or extensive disease. Smoking is almost always the cause of SCLC. According to the American Cancer Society about 15% of all lung cancer cases are SCLC.

 

Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in the U.S., with more than 192,000 new cases of invasive breast cancer expected to be diagnosed this year, according to American Cancer Society estimates. More than 40,000 deaths are expected to be attributed to breast cancer in the U.S. in 2009, making it the second leading cause of cancer death in U.S. women. The chance of a woman having invasive breast cancer some time during her life is about one in eight.

 

Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic cancer, although a relatively rare form of cancer, is the fourth leading cause of cancer mortality in the U.S. with only a 20% one-year survival rate, according to the American Cancer Society. This year in the U.S., the American Cancer Society estimates approximately 42,000 new pancreatic cancer cases and more than 35,000 deaths due to this disease. One in 76 people is expected to develop pancreatic cancer sometime in their life.