Other Cancers

Minority Women's Health > American Indians/Alaska Natives > Health Topics > Other Cancers

Cancer happens when some body cells don't work right, divide over and over, and make too much tissue that becomes a tumor. Cancerous tumors then invade healthy cells.

Cancer is the second leading cause of death for American Indian/Alaska Native women. The major cancer risk factors for American Indian/Alaska Native women include smoking and alcohol use, poor diet, lack of exercise, obesity, and getting screening tests for cervical and breast cancer too late or not at all.

We do not know how to prevent cancer. But there are some things you can do to reduce your risk:

Don't smoke. If you smoke, try to quit. For help along the way, check out our Quitting Smoking section.
Keep a healthy weight.
Eat right. Eat lots of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
Get moving. Aim for 30 minutes of exercise a day, most days of the week. Try taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Or, walk during breaks at work.
If you drink alcohol, have no more than one drink per day.

Publications

American Indian Health - This web site is an information portal for and about the health of native peoples of the United States.
http://americanindianhealth.nlm.nih.gov/
Breast Cancer: A Resource Guide for Minority Women - The Office of Minority Health Resource Center has compiled a list of organizations, documents, journal articles, and other resources relevant to people affected by breast cancer including patients, health professionals, students, and researchers.
http://www.omhrc.gov/assets/pdf/checked/bcrg2005.pdf
Cancer Surveillance Research: Native American Initiatives - NCI supports several projects among Native American populations to improve cancer epidemiology, screening, prevention, and treatments.
http://surveillance.cancer.gov/disparities/native/
Gallbladder Cancer (PDQ®): Treatment - Patients - This fact sheet describes gallbladder cancer, the different stages of gallbladder cancer, provides an overview of treatment options, and lists additional sources of information for patients.
http://www.nci.nih.gov/cancerinfo/pdq/treatment/gallbladder/patient/
What You Need To Know About™ Breast Cancer - This booklet provides valuable information about breast cancer. It discusses possible causes, screening, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and recovery. Additionally, this booklet offers women with breast cancer information on how to cope with the disease.
http://www.cancer.gov/cancerinfo/wyntk/breast
What You Need To Know About™ Cancer of the Colon and Rectum - This booklet provides information on the symptoms, detection, diagnosis, possible causes, and treatment of cancer of the colon and rectum. Having this important information can make it easier for patients and their families to handle the challenges they face.
http://www.cancer.gov/cancerinfo/wyntk/colon-and-rectum
What You Need To Know About™ Liver Cancer - This booklet about liver cancer discusses symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, emotional issues, and questions to ask the doctor. It also includes a glossary of terms and other resources.
http://www.cancer.gov/cancerinfo/wyntk/liver
What You Need To Know About™ Lung Cancer - The diagnosis of lung cancer brings with it many questions and a need for clear, understandable answers. This National Cancer Institute (NCI) booklet provides information about some causes and ways to prevent lung cancer, and it describes the symptoms, detection, diagnosis, and treatment of this disease.
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/wyntk/lung
The American Indian/Alaska Native Cancer Information Resource Center and Learning Exchange (Copyright @ MFMER) - The American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) Cancer Information Resource Center and Learning Exchange (Native CIRCLE) exists to stimulate, develop, maintain, and disseminate culturally appropriate cancer information materials for American Indian/Alaska Native educators, health care leaders, and students.
http://www.nativeamericanprograms.org/index-circle.html
Breast Cancer Racial and Ethnic Differences (Copyright © Susan G. Komen Foundation) - Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers among women in the United States. It is the most frequently diagnosed cancer among nearly every racial and ethnic group, including African American, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian/Pacific Islander and Hispanic/Latina women. The rates of developing and dying from the disease differ among ethnic groups, and this publication discusses these differences.
http://www.komen.org/stellent/groups/harvard_group/@dallas/documents/-komen_site_...
Native American Healing (Copyright © ACS) - This publication discusses the use, effectiveness, and safety of traditional healing methods used by Native American Healers.
http://www.cancer.org/docroot/ETO/content/ETO_5_3X_Native_American_Healing.asp?si...
Native Americans/Alaska Natives and Lung Disease Fact Sheet (Copyright @ ALA) - This publication provides statistical information on smoking and lung disease among people identified as Native Americans/American Indians, Eskimos, Aleuts, and Inuit.
http://www.lungusa.org/site/apps/nl/content3.asp?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=2058817&co...

Organizations

= Indicates Federal Resources

Current as of December 2007