Alina Gibson-Constancio; Community Trends

I spoke with Andrea, a Cancer Information Specialist from the American Cancer Society. My great-grandpa died a few years ago from a rare case of Melanoma and so this peaked my interest in the area of Cancer. My grandpa was also Hispanic so I was curious to see how the Top 5 most commonly diagnosed cancers for all races/ethnicities in males compared to the top 5 most commonly diagnosed cancers in Hispanic men.

Top 5 Most Commonly Diagnosed Cancers for all Races/Ethnicities for Males in the U.S.

1.     Prostate Cancer: This cancer is the most common cancer in men, no matter their race or ethnicity. Andrea was saying that Prostate Cancer is considered a cancer that they still do not completely understand, so research as to how to better prevent and find the risk factors is still being conducted. Prostate Cancer is the second most common cause of death from cancer in Hispanic men, and it is more common in Hispanic men than non-Hispanic men.

2.     Lung & Bronchus Cancer: Lung Cancer has a reputation as being one of the leading causes of cancer deaths in men and women. The #1 causes of lung cancer is cigarette smoking, along with other uses of tobacco and second hand smoke. So Lung cancer can be better prevented if people voided these activities. Lung cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in Hispanic men.

3.     Colon & Rectum Cancer: Colon Cancer affects both men and women of all racial and ethnic groups. The group that is at the highest risk for colon cancer are those who are 50 or older. Colon cancer is one form of cancer that if detected early enough can be prevented. Those who are a part of this age group are encouraged to have regular colon cancer screenings. Colon Cancer is the second most diagnosed cancer in Hispanic men.

4.     Bladder Cancer: Bladder Cancer is something that men should be concerned with specifically because, “Men are three times more susceptible to the disease than women, and whites are more susceptible than African American or Hispanics.” Bladder cancer is not even on the Top 5 for Hispanic Men.

5.     Melanoma of the Skin: Most commonly Melanoma occurs on the skin of men’s backs, but it can occur anywhere on the body, “including the head and neck, skin under the fingernails, and even the soles of the feet or the palms of the hands.” My grandpa had a very intense case on his head. On average Melanoma occurs in people around 50 years old but it has been occurring more frequently in younger adults than other cancers. Although Melanoma is the #5 on the most commonly diagnosed cancers for all race/ ethnicity in males, it is not on the list for the most common in Hispanic males.