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Family Feud Cancer Facts

Please Note: Gilda’s Club Westchester has created these teacher notes to accompany the

“Family Feud Cancer Facts” game. These notes represent the most current information

known provided by the American Cancer Society. Since cancer research is ongoing and

statistics are updated on an annual basis, please refer to www.gildasclubwestchester.org and

www.cancer.org for updated information in the future.

Most Commonly Diagnosed Cancers

• The 5 most commonly diagnosed cancers in adults are skin, lung, prostate, breast, and

colo-rectal. Skin cancer is the most common kind of cancer in the United States. Treatment

success rates for skin cancer are very high, particularly when caught at an early stage.

• Leukemia is the most common cancer diagnosed in children, although cancer in children

is rare. The majority of cancer cases (77%) are diagnosed in people aged 55 and older.

Cancer treatments for children have improved dramatically and many children with cancer

go on to lead healthy lives. Some treatment side effects may persist throughout childhood

and may impact these children’s school and learning experiences.

Common Cancer Treatments

• Surgery: The physical removal of a tumor. Side effects can include post-operative pain

and nausea, and risk of infection.

• Radiation: The use of beams of high-energy particles or waves to destroy cancer cells.

Radiation treats local areas of the body. Side effects of radiation may include fatigue,

skin sensitivity, diarrhea and trouble eating. Radiation treatments themselves are not

painful. Similar to the experience of getting an x-ray, the patient feels nothing during

treatment.

• Chemotherapy: The use of strong drugs to treat cancer. Chemotherapy is usually given

in pill or IV injection form. Chemotherapy does not refer to one type of medication; more

than 100 chemotherapy drugs are used in combination with each other.

- Chemotherapy drugs work by targeting fast-growing cells in the body. Cancer is the

rapid growth of abnormal cells. Sometimes normal, healthy, rapidly-growing cells are

targeted along with cancer cells. Examples of normal rapidly-growing cells include

those found in hair, fi ngernails, eye brows and eye lashes. As a result, the patient

may experience hair loss.

- Side effects of chemotherapy may include hair loss, fatigue, nausea and vomiting,

weight loss or gain, anemia, and easily bruising or bleeding.

Family Feud Cancer Facts (cont’d)

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• Cancer patients may have only one kind of treatment or may have a combination of treatments

depending on the individual case.

• Ongoing cancer research is extensive and new treatments promise to be more effective

with fewer side effects. Today there are more than 11 million cancer survivors living in the

United States.

• Many individuals living with cancer experience few treatment side effects and are able to

continue working, going to school, etc.

Ways to Reduce the Risk of Developing Cancer

• Tobacco use is the leading risk factor for the development of cancer. 87% of all lung

cancer deaths are attributed to cigarette smoking and smoking accounts for at least 30%

of all cancer deaths.

- Cigarettes contain more than 4,000 chemicals, and more than 60 are known to cause cancer.

- The carcinogens in cigarette smoke do not remain only in the lungs. As capillary exchange

occurs in the lungs, these toxins enter the bloodstream and travel throughout the body.

Cigarette smoking is linked to at least 15 different kinds of cancer including pancreatic,

esophageal, stomach, bladder, kidney, cervical cancer, and some types of leukemia.

- Second-hand smoke is responsible for more than 3,000 lung cancer deaths per year

among non-smokers in the U.S.

Discussion Idea: How can students reduce their exposure to secondhand smoke?

• Year-round skin protection includes wearing a minimum sunscreen of SPF 15 and reapplying

it every 2-3 hours. Students should be made aware that tanning beds are very dangerous.

The use of tanning beds can increase the risk of melanoma (skin cancer) by nearly 75%.

• Exercise regularly and limit screen time! Adolescents should participate in 60 minutes

of moderate to vigorous exercise 5 days a week. Total screen time (tv, computers, etc)

should be no more than 2 hours a day.

• Make healthy eating a priority! The American Cancer Society recommends a diet emphasizing

fruits and vegetables, whole-grains, beans, and lower-calorie beverages.

- It is very important to maintain a healthy weight through a balanced diet and regular

exercise. About 1 out of every 3 cancer diagnoses in the United States is linked to ex-

cess body weight, poor nutrition, or physical inactivity. Excess body weight contributes

to 14% to 20% of all cancer-related deaths.

• Limit alcohol consumption. Alcohol on its own increases the risk of developing cancers

of the mouth, larynx, pharynx, esophagus, liver, breast, and the colon/rectum. Alcohol

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Family Feud Cancer Facts (cont’d)

may also act as a solvent for other harmful chemicals. Because of this, the combination

of smoking and drinking is more likely to cause cancers in the mouth or throat than either

smoking or drinking alone.

Providing Support

The importance of social and emotional support for people touched by cancer:

Individuals touched by cancer are at an increased risk for depression, anxiety, and other

mental health issues. Social and emotional support are an essential complement to medical

care for cancer patients and their family members.* The ideas presented here are based on

the experiences of Gilda’s Club Westchester members and ongoing psychosocial oncology

research.

• Treat the person normally and continue to do normal activities. Individuals living with cancer, as

well as family members and friends, still like to go to the movies, attend sporting events,

etc., but often feel like they become isolated when cancer happens.

• Assist them with daily tasks such as cooking, cleaning, walking the dog, taking out the

garbage, and getting the mail.

• For students who have to miss school, help them with school work and missed assignments.

• Talk/listen to the person. Individuals touched by cancer frequently feel that the people

around them avoid talking about cancer. Just being there for them can be very supportive.

• It is always good to ask the person what would be supportive for them. “Support” may

mean something different for different people.

• Encourage them to reach out for support.

Discussion Idea: There are many possible ways to support someone who is touched by

cancer. Students work in pairs to brainstorm how they would help someone. Examples of

additional support scenarios are available in the Gilda’s CLASS section at

www.gildasclubwestchester.org.

*Institute of Medicine (2007). Cancer Care for the Whole Patient: Meeting Psychosocial

Health Needs.

Family Feud Cancer Facts Answer Key

What are the 5 most common cancers?Skin Cancer

Lung Cancer

Breast Cancer

Prostate Cancer

Colo-rectal Cancer

What are the 3 most common cancer treatments?Chemotherapy

Radiation

Surgery

What are 5 ways to reduce the risk of developing cancer?Protect your skin

Do not smoke

Limit alcohol consumption

Eat healthy

Exercise

What are 6 ways to support someone impacted by cancer?Ask the person what is supportive

Help with school work

Treat normally/do normal activities

Talk/listen to them

Help with daily tasks

Encourage them to reach out for support