This spread, or metastasis, of cancer cells can involve tissues near the originating site, or can involve other parts of the body reached through lymph vessels or the bloodstream. Cancer can be caused by both internal and external factors. Today, between 7 million and 8 million Americans have a history of cancer, with nearly 1.5 million more cases expected to be diagnosed this year. The good news is that continuing medical research has resulted in major advances in both technology and knowledge, and today cure and survival rates are higher than ever. Many cancers are preventable, and still more can be detected and aggressively treated in very early stages.
Cancer can strike anybody.
Anyone of any age, race, gender or ethnic background can develop cancer. Some cancers are more common in certain populations than others. In Wisconsin alone, there were nearly 30,000 newly diagnosed cancers in 1997. Of these, the most common were prostate, breast, lung, colon and rectum. The leading cancers causing death in Wisconsin were lung, prostate, colon and rectum, and breast.