Cancer Facts

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States, responsible for more than 500,000 deaths each year. More than 45% of all men and 41% of all women will develop cancer in their lifetimes. Nearly 50% of people who develop cancer eventually die of the disease.

Celator’s® current efforts in research and product development target several different forms of cancer, including colorectal cancer, acute myeloid leukemia, and cancers of the head and neck.

About Colorectal Cancer1
Colorectal cancer develops in the lower gastrointestinal tract and is a significant public health problem in the United States.

  • An estimated 145,290 people in the United States will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2005; 56,290 people will die from the disease.
  • Colorectal cancer typically appears later in life. More than 90% of patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer are over age 50.
  • Colorectal cancer can develop without symptoms. Typically cancer starts in the form of a polyp on the wall of the colon.
  • Treatment typically involves a combination of surgery, chemotherapy or radiation.

About Acute Myeloid Leukemia2

Leukemia is a malignancy that affects the body’s ability to produce blood cells. Among the 35,000 people affected by leukemia each year, about 12,000 have acute myeloid leukemia.

  • Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) occurs mostly (90%) in adults; the average age of diagnosis is 66 years.
  • Symptoms can include anemia, pale skin due to a shortage of red blood cells, shortness of breath and fatigue, an increased risk of infection, bone or joint pain, enlargement of the liver or spleen and bleeding.
  • Treatment typically involves chemotherapy.

About Head and Neck Cancer3,4
Head and neck cancer is the general term used to describe a range of cancers including those that affect the mouth, throat, nose, larynx and other areas.

  • An estimated 39,250 people will be diagnosed with a form of head or neck cancer in 2005, and 11,090 people will die from the disease.
  • Head and neck cancers are typically diagnosed using blood tests, imaging (x-rays of the mouth, sinuses or skull), MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), and biopsy.
  • Many treatment options involve a combination of radiation therapy, surgery and chemotherapy.

About Lung Cancer3
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death for both men and women. More people die of lung cancer than of colon, breast and prostate cancers combined. Lung cancer is fairly rare in people under the age of 40. The average age of people found to have lung cancer is 70.

  • In 2005 there will be about 172,570 new cases of lung cancer in the United States: 93,010 among men and 79,560 among women.
  • About 163,510 people will die of this disease: 90,490 men and 73,020 women.
  • About 6 out of 10 people with lung cancer die within 1 year of diagnosis. Between 7 and 8 will die within 2 years.
  • There are two main types of lung cancer: small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

1 American Cancer Society 2005 Colorectal Facts and Figures
2 American Cancer Society Leukemia Classifications
3 American Cancer Society
4 Dr. Joseph F. Smith Medical Library Head and Neck Cancer
http://www.chclibrary.org/micromed/00050170.html