Breast Cancer is one of the most notorious types of cancer, primarily affecting women and taking many different forms based on the causes, and the parts of the breast where it develops. The common types include ductal carcinoma in situ and invasive carcinoma. In many cases, there are no symptoms until later stages, making screening, such as mammograms, very important.

One out of every eight women will develop invasive breast cancer at some point in her life. Last year there were more than a quarter million breast cancer diagnoses in the U.S., and more than 40,000 breast cancer deaths are believed to have occurred. Breast cancer is only second to lung cancer when it comes to the number of cancer deaths which occur among U.S. women each year.

Numerous advances in treatment have led to a five-year survival rate of 90% for breast cancer. Surgery and radiation are the most common treatments, with systemic treatments such as chemotherapy, hormone therapy, targeted therapy and immunotherapy are employed when the cancer is believed to have spread to other parts of the body.

Prostate cancer is a form of cancer that typically affects older men, as only men have prostate glands. However, a number of cases of prostate cancer may be linked to Zantac among individuals diagnosed under the age of 70.

Most forms of prostate cancer are adenocarcinomas, which means they develop from the gland cells. It is second only to skin cancer as the most common cancer found among men, with about 250,000 new cases per year, and more than 34,000 deaths annually. In most cases, prostate cancer develops slowly, and some men die of old age before even being aware they have it. However, there are cases where it spreads and grows much more rapidly.

There are numerous prostate cancer treatments, ranging from surgery, radiation therapy, cryotherapy and chemotherapy. While it is the second leading cause of cancer death among American men, second only to lung cancer, most men diagnosed with prostate cancer survive.

Kidney Cancer develops in the kidneys, usually as a single tumor, and can destroy kidney function, often resulting in the need for dialysis in order for the blood to continue to be properly filtered. About 90% of kidney cancers are classified as renal cell carcinoma (RCC), and the most common type of RCC is clear cell renal cell carcinoma.

Other types of kidney cancers, much rarer, include transitional cell carcinoma, also known as urothelial carcinomas, which do not start in the kidneys, but spread there from other parts of the body. This type of kidney cancer is often linked to exposure to cancer-causing chemicals or smoking.

There are about 76,000 new kidney cancer cases diagnosed in the U.S. every year, with twice as many men affected as women. Nearly 14,000 people in the U.S. die every year from kidney cancer. Unlike most cancers, rates of kidney cancer have been on the rise, though that seems to have leveled off in the last few years.

Overall five-year survival rates for kidney cancer are about 75%. Surgery, ablation, active surveillance and radiation therapy are the most common treatments, though targeted therapy, immunotherapy and chemotherapy are employed to treat more advanced stages.

Lung Cancer generally starts in the cells of the bronchi, bronchioles or alveoli. It is the second most common cancer among men and women. Lung cancer is divided into two main types: non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small cell lung cancer (SCLC), which are treated very differently. NSCLC is the most common type, with SCLC comprising only about 10% to 15%.

SCLC is the most dangerous, with about 70% of cases having already spread to other parts of the body by the time it is diagnosed, and most requiring treatment with radiation or chemotherapy, and even then, it is likely to return.

More than 235,000 cases of lung cancer are diagnosed in the U.S. every year, spread fairly evenly between men and women. This year, it is expected that about 132,000 people in the U.S. will die from lung cancer. Overall, the five-year survival rate for NSCLC is about 24%, with a significantly higher rate if the cancer is caught early; higher than 60%. However, the SCLC survival rates are dismal, at only 6% overall, with just 27% survival if caught in its earliest stages.

A wide range of treatments are used, including surgery, radiofrequency ablation, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, targeted drug therapy, immunotherapy, and, unfortunately, palliative procedures are often used to make patients who have no hope of recovery comfortable in their final days.

Colorectal Cancer is a cancer which attacks the colon and rectum, which together make up the large intestines. Some people refer to them as separate cancers, such as colon cancer or rectal cancer, but others refer to them as colorectal cancer due to their similarities.

Doctors estimate the U.S. will see nearly 105,000 new cases of colon cancer this year, as well as more than 45,000 cases of rectal cancer. The two cancers together are expected to claim nearly 53,000 lives in the U.S. this year, making colorectal cancer the second leading cause of cancer deaths regardless of gender.

However, the death rate has been dropping steadily for decades as screening and awareness have increased, and as treatments have improved. Those treatments include surgery, ablation and embolization, and radiation therapy, if caught early. If the cancers have spread, treatments are more likely to include chemotherapy, targeted therapy and immunotherapy. Overall survival rates for colorectal cancer are in the mid 60 percentiles.