The Most Common Types of Cancer in Men and Women

Stomach or gastric cancer attacks the lining of the stomach, often causing nausea, bloating, loss of appetite, and heartburn. Risk factors include family history, age, and smoking. The ACS estimates that over 27,000 Americans will be diagnosed with the disease in 2019, and most of them will be men.

Myeloma is a cancer of white blood cells known as plasma that fight disease. Because of the type of blood cells it affects, myeloma reduces the body’s ability to fight infection, which can result in death. This year, an estimated 32,110 Americans will be diagnosed and 12,960 will die from myeloma — and slightly more of them will be men.

Liver and intrahepatic bile duct cancer is predicted to be the sixth deadliest cancer for men and eighth deadliest for women in 2019. Men, especially of Asian descent, are at increased risk of liver cancer. Other risk factors include obesity, tobacco use, heavy alcohol consumption, and cirrhosis of the liver.

The ACS estimates that there will be 44,180 new cases of rectal cancer in 2019 — most of them in men. Smoking and obesity are risk factors for the disease. Signs of rectal cancer include diarrhea, constipation, blood in stool, change in appetite, and feeling very tired. Deaths for rectal cancer are included in the death count for colon cancer because rectal cancer deaths are often misdiagnosed as colon cancer.

Over 72% of the 52,070 estimated new cases of thyroid cancer in 2019 will be in women. Thyroid cancer is treatable and, more often than not, curable. Warning signs include changes in voice, a lump in the throat, and difficulty swallowing. Risk factors include exposure to radiation and genetic predisposition.