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CANCER

Cancer Cells Obviously a much bigger problem in the western societies, cancers especially those of the stomach, intestinal tract as well as cancer of the breast are all very serious concerns.

Cancers of the colon and rectum are rare in developing countries, but are the second most frequent malignancy in affluent societies. More than 940,000 cases occur annually worldwide and nearly 500,000 die from it each year.

The largest cause of this is the diet eaten in western regions and epidemiology suggests that risk can be reduced by decreasing meat consumption, particularly processed meat and increasing intake of fruits and vegetables. Migrant populations rapidly reach the higher level of risk of the adopted country, another sign that environment plays a key role.

Key Statements About Cancer

  • Tobacco use is a major cause of cancer which is completely preventable.
  • As developing countries succeed in achieving similar lifestyles to those of the wealthier countries, it is anticipated the instances of cancer in those regions will increase as well.
  • Researchers will demonstrate that successful behavioral changes in tobacco, alcohol, and diet will prevent far more cancers than the elimination of toxins in the environment.
  • The Pap smear for cervical cancer is the single best cancer screening procedure. The medical community is now trying to come up with other, equally effective screening methods for other forms of cancer.
  • Cancer is seen more frequently in males than in females.
  • In the year 2000, the very last global statistics were taken and showed that some 400,000 women died from breast cancer. The good news is that instances of breast cancer mortality are actually down at least in western regions due to improvements in detection as well as in treatment options.

IARC is calling for effective and carefully evaluated education programs for children including tobacco abstinence and health lifestyle issues. Many countries do not have programs like this in place. In France that are also calling for governments to take necessary actions to help motivate the public to adopt a healthier lifestyle.

At the core of this cancer control strategy, the essential package includes cost-effective interventions for the following components: tobacco control, infection control, healthy eating, a curable cancer program and palliative care.