Cancer is a global issue. It touches us directly or indirectly. One-third cases of cancer in developing country are treated but most of the patients come to hospitals in an advanced stages. People are unaware about proper and right information about cancer. It is mainly due to cultural diversity, language minorities, ethnic minorities and rural communities.
Cancer prevention is easier than we think. With a few simple lifestyle changes, we can drastically reduce our risk of many types of cancer. Many factors play a role in cancer development, but the good news is that most can be avoided.
Most people don't realize that cancer is preventable in many cases. Learning what causes cancer and what the risk factors are is the first step in cancer prevention. Many cancer risk factors can be avoided, thus reducing the likelihood of developing cancer. Of course, some cancer risks like genetics cannot be avoided.
Smoking is the most significant cancer risk factor that we can reduce. It is responsible for not only lung cancer, but many other types of cancer. One of the best ways to prevent cancer is to quit smoking or never start. As soon as one quit, and it's never too late his/her body reaps the benefits of being tobacco-free.
Avoiding secondhand smoke is also a way to prevent cancer. Secondhand smoke is the smoke exhaled from a smoker or a lit cigarette, pipe or cigar. This smoke contains more than 60 known carcinogens. These carcinogens interrupt normal cell development. This interference is what ignites cancer development.
1. What is Cancer?
Cancer is an abnormal growth of a body cell or group of cells. If it is not destroyed or removed, cancer can spread very rapidly, and eventually lead to death.
2. Is cancer hereditary?
There are probably inherited tendencies that may lead to Cancers of different types. The presence of cancer in one or both parents should be a cause for greater alertness in looking for end recognizing suspicious symptoms in the individual. Cancer however is not inherited except for one type of eye cancer known as Retinoblastoma. Only 5% of breast cancers are considered hereditary.
3. What causes cancer?
It is very difficult to pinpoint the definite cause, certain substances, known as carcinogens, can definite increase your chances of getting cancer. For instance, people who smoke or chew tobacco are more prone to mouth, throat and lung cancer, contrary to popular opinion, beedi smoking is twice as dangerous as cigarettes. Majority of cancer is caused by a combination of hereditary factors, nutritional factors and prolonged continuous exposure to cancer-causing agents.
4. How does cancer work?
It works in 3 ways.
a. Cancer cells grow through the walls of blood, vessels and are carried by the blood stream to other parts of the body.
b. They enter the lymphatic stream and are carried to the lymph glands.
c. They grew directly in contiguity from one tissue to another.
5. Who gets cancer?
Cancer can occur at any age, the incident is high after the age of 40 to 45. The life style of the people make more chances to some cancers, that is cancers of colon, lung and skin .are common in western countries, where as cancers involving the oral cavity are more common in India.. In women, cancer of the breast and cervix are common in Nepal.
6. Can cancer be prevented?
1/3 of all cancer are preventable. A healthy lifestyle and proper nutrition will prevent majority of cancers. In addition to this, avoiding known cancer producing agents and habits such as tobacco, beetle quid chewing, sexual promiscuity, hepatitis B infection and over exposure to sunlight will prevent cancers of the lung, oral cavity, cervix, liver and skin respectively.
7. Can cancer be cured?
1/3 of all cancers are curable, if detected early and treated properly. The following common cancers can be detected early and when treated properly can be cured; BREAST, CERVIX, COLON, RECTUM, ORAL, THYROID, PROSTATE. These comprise 18.2% of all cancers in male and 52.2% of all cancers in female.
