Courtesy of Buffalo Medical Group

More than 200 different types of cancer have been identified, but the vast majority of cancer cases are due to just a handful of types. Knowledge of the most common cancers may raise awareness of which pose the biggest threat and how to reduce risk for these diseases.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) notes that in five cancer types, prevention and screening have been major contributors to saving lives. In fact, improvements in cancer prevention and screening have prevented more deaths from these cancer types combined over the past 45 years than treatment advances, according to a modeling study led by NIH researchers.

The study, published in JAMA Oncology in December 2024, reviewed deaths from breast, cervical, colorectal, lung, and prostate cancer that were prevented through a combination of prevention, screening, and treatment advances. The researchers focused on these specific cancers, as they account for the most common causes of cancer deaths, and also because we now have powerful tools available to us for their prevention, early detection, and treatment. NIH says these five cancers account for nearly half of all new cancer diagnoses and deaths.

The researchers found that one major prevention intervention is smoking cessation, noting that it “contributed the lion’s share of the deaths averted: 3.45 million from lung cancer alone.” Additionally, prevention and screening accounted for preventing the most deaths for cervical, colorectal, lung, and prostate cancer; however, advances in treatment were primarily responsible for preventing most deaths due to breast cancer.

The physicians at Buffalo Medical Group want Western New Yorkers to know the importance of early detection and screening this April, during National Cancer Control Month. They emphasize that, “It is important to understand that early screening can often detect cancer even before symptoms appear, and that the earlier cancer is caught, the easier it is to treat and achieve better outcomes. So, be proactive about your health and keep up with recommended screenings, which are so critical for cancer prevention and early detection.”

Different screening methods are recommended based on individual risk factors, family history, and age. If you don’t know what screenings are right for you, make sure to talk with your doctor about what is most appropriate for your individual medical history. Women are urged to get breast mammograms at set intervals. Men can undergo prostate specific antigen screening. Colonoscopy can help inform both men and women of their risk for colon and rectal cancers. Lung cancer screenings typically are not routine unless a person has a high risk of lung cancer or is a longtime smoker.

Learn more about Buffalo Medical Group’s available screenings at https://buffalomedicalgroup.com. To make an appointment to be screened or to see a provider closest to where you live in Lockport, Williamsville, Buffalo, or Niagara Falls, call 716-630-1000.