Cancer (Types, Preventive measures, Spotting Cancer early)

Cancer

Cancer is the cause of about 30% of all premature deaths from Non-Communicable diseases among adults aged 30-69. Cancer is a collective type of disease where body cells divide uncontrollably and spread into surrounding tissues. Cancer is caused by changes in DNA. Most cancer-causing DNA changes occur in sections of DNA called genes.

IARC (International Agency for Research on Cancer) estimates on the global cancer burden, indicating that it has risen to 19.3 million cases and 10 million cancer deaths in 2020.

There are two forms of cancer:

•           Benign cancer like a Brain tumor

•           Malignant cancer-like Blood cancer

Cancer in Women

1. Breast cancer:

The most common type of cancer among women. According to WHO, breast cancer represents about 25% of all cancers.  American Institute for cancer research, estimates that it is one of the leading cancers types other than lung cancer worldwide for the last decade.

2. Ovarian cancer

Although this type of cancer occurs at any age, older women are at greater risk. In 2018, approximately 22,000 new cases of ovarian cancer were diagnosed.

3. Endometrial cancer

            It is a cancer of the inner lining of the Uterus. Risk of this cancer type increases in older women. Women undergoing hormonal therapies for breast cancer are likely to develop this type of cancer. It accounts for 4.8% of all cancers.

Cancer in men

1.Prostate Cancer

Men are at higher risk of prostate cancer, approximately 1,65,000 men were diagnosed with this type of cancer in 2018, It stands at second place in terms of causing death in men.

2.Bladder Cancer

            Bladder cancer is the abnormal growth of bladder cells and is common among men than women. Bladder cancer is the fourth most common cancer in men, striking 36 in every 100,000 and killing eight among them.

3.Colorectal cancer (also known as Bowel Cancer)

             Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer that affects both men and women. There were over 1.8 million new cases diagnosed in 2018 according to the American Institute for cancer research.

4. Lung cancer

Lung cancer has the highest incidence and mortality rate globally. In 2020, there was an estimation that 19.3 million new cancer cases and nearly 10 million cancer deaths worldwide according to the Global Cancer Statistics 2020 report from the American Cancer Society (ACS) and the International Agency for Research on Cancer.

Other cancers that are most common in both men and women are Liver cancer, Leukemia cancer, Neuroblastoma cancer and etc.

CHILDHOOD CANCER

•         Different from the older group of cancer caused in children, approximately 300,000 children aged 0 to 19 years old are diagnosed each year.

•         The most common categories of childhood cancers include Leukemia, Brain cancers, Lymphomas, and Solid tumors, such as Neuroblastoma and Wilms tumor.

•         In high-income countries, more than 80% of children with cancer are cured, but in many Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) only about 20% are cured.

Preventive measures

Prevention is better than cure.

About 25% of cancer in women and 33% of men could be preventable according to the JAMA Oncology study journal.

So, what we really care about is how to reduce the risk of cancer by changing our activities like.

A healthy lifestyle like exercising at least twice a week, practicing yoga, a diet that includes a lot of Fruits, Green vegetables like Tomatoes, Carrots, Spinach, Whole grains, Limited meat, Green tea.

Moderate alcohol consumption.

Avoid smoking, tobacco helps in a lot better way to prevent many cancers like lung cancer, prostate cancer, etc.

Avoid contraceptive pills specifically after the age of 35 since it leads to cancer that is caused in women.

In few cancers in women, breastfeeding for a longer time reduces the risk of cancer, like ovarian cancer.

Avoiding hormonal therapy that includes estrogens also contributes to preventing cancer.

Maintaining a healthy weight and being physically active.

The HPV vaccine helps in preventing HPV [Human Papilloma Virus] related cancer like cervical cancer. So, all boys and girls between 11 and 12 years old should get vaccinated.

The best way to protect from skin cancer is, limiting exposure to the sun UV rays and usage of sunscreen lotion with at least SPF 30 or higher.

Avoid plastic containers to consume food.

Knowing the family history of cancer helps in taking precautions to prevent cancer in early-stage if any.

                        Spotting cancer early

Screening cancer at an early stage. Most cancer can be detected in its early stage and it becomes much easier to treat based on gender, age, and few symptoms. For example

Breast cancer: change in the shape, discharge from the nipple, thickening or lump on the breast or all the way under the armpit, pointed pain or discomfort, particularly in either of the breast, should never go neglected.

Colon cancer: usually asymptomatic, but if developed the common symptoms like change in bowel habit towards diarrhea, blood in the urine leading to anemia, weight loss, the lump in the abdomen is common.

Lung cancer: persistent cough [2-3 weeks], chest infections, coughing up blood, weight loss, chest and shoulder pain, breathlessness conditions.

While the exact cause of or any cancer, for that matter – is unknown, there are several risk factors that have been identified, such as radiation exposure, previous cancer treatment, age, so screening cancer in early stage helps in easy treating of that cancer.

Though cancer has destructed millions of lives, worldwide, there is always a hope that stands first not the fear.