Wisconsin’s 5 most common cancers, and which you can (and should) screen for

One in two women and one in three men will hear the words, “You have cancer,” at least once in their lifetime.

Every day, 96 Wisconsinites are diagnosed with cancer for the first time–joining the 250,000+ Badgers who’ve had the disease. Cancer is statistically tied with heart disease as the state’s #1 cause of death. (Here’s the full breakdown.)

But which cancers are most common?

For men, it’s prostate–representing 23% of all newly-diagnosed cancer.

For women, it’s breast–making up 29% of all new diagnoses.

Overall, Wisconsin’s 5 most common cancers are:

– Breast (4,600 total cases)

– Lung (4,200 total cases)

– Prostate (3,800 total cases)

– Colon (2,600 total cases)

– Melanoma (1,600 total cases)

But when it comes to Wisconsin’s deadliest cancers, the results are shuffled. Lung is Wisconsin’s overwhelming #1–responsible for nearly 3,000 deaths/year. Colon is the next deadliest form of cancer, with more than 900 deaths/year. Pancreas, breast, and prostate round out the top 5. Click here for the full breakdown.

GOOD NEWS: Today, people are living longer than ever before after a cancer diagnosis due to improved screenings. Screening tests are used to find cancer in people with no symptoms. Regular screenings give you the best chance of finding cancer early when it’s small and before it’s spread. Effective screenings:

– Find cancer early

– Reduce your risk of dying

– Have more potential benefits than harms (like bleeding, internal damage, or overdiagnosis)

The National Cancer Institute currently recommends screening for the following:

❤️ Breast Cancer

Method: Mammogram
Recommended For: Women ages 40-74, but especially between 50-69

Frequency: Once a year

Why: Finds tumors before they’ve spread

MORE: Answers to All Your Mammogram Questions

❤️ Cervical Cancer

Method: HPV and Pap tests

Recommended For: Women ages 21-65

Frequency: Every 3-5 Years

Why: Finds abnormal cells before they become cancer

MORE: Answers to All Your Cervical Cancer Screening Questions

❤️ Colon Cancer

Method: Colonoscopy

Recommended For: Everyone, ages 45-75

Frequency: Every 10 years for people at average risk

Why: Finds abnormal growths (polyps) early and removes them before they become cancer

MORE: Answers to All Your Colonoscopy Questions

❤️ Lung Cancer

Method: CT Scan

Recommended For: Former and Current smokers, ages 50-80

Frequency: Once a year

Why: Patients with scans that show possible signs of cancer are more likely to quit

MORE: Answers to All Your Lung Cancer Screening Questions

NOTE: You’ll notice two major cancers missing from this list of recommended screenings–prostate and skin. That’s right: the National Cancer Institute no longer recommends annual screenings for those cancers to all people. Here’s why.

If you’d like to learn more about prostate screenings – click here.

And if you think you might be at risk for skin cancer – click here.

MORE: 4 Wisconsin-Based Cancer Charities That Really Make a Difference