February 4th is observed as the World Cancer Day and the message that was shared was cancer is preventable. From being the deadly killer it once was, cancer today has mellowed to become a preventable disease. Experts believe that almost 40% of the cancers that are diagnosed can be prevented.
Prevention of cancer is a possibility, according to the International Union against Cancer (UICC) and the World Health Organization (WHO). But the preventive methods suggested by these organization and researches all over the world do not fit into a capsule yet. They are strategies that include quitting smoking, reducing alcohol intake, avoiding long exposure in the sun, staying fit with exercise, and to protect against infections that causes cancer.
Food habits and choice of food is a major contributor to cancer. Eating at least five portions of vegetables and fruits a day can increase your chance to fight against cancer. And foods that are rich in fats, animal protein, additives, and preservatives will tilt the balance on the other end. Another biggest cancer causing culprit is tobacco. Thanks to tobacco, developing countries owe 30% of cancer-related death to it, with about 80-90% lung cancer deaths caused by it. Therefore, by reducing tobacco consumption, by bringing an awareness of its harmful effects, and by cessation programs, the number of cancer deaths due to smoking can be reduced effectively. Prevention of infection through hepatitis B virus (that can cause liver cancer), HPV (strains that cause cervical cancer) and many others through vaccines can also save many lives.
Cancer looms like a dark shadow, but only till we realize it need not and that the dark cover can be easily removed with slight changes in our attitude and lifestyle. Studies show that cancer kills more people than AIDS, malaria and TB combined. And unfortunately these deaths are not needed, as they can all be prevented. The UICC also stresses the importance of early screening and diagnosis, targeted treatment for infections and to combine with cancer control program, which will result in the prevention of cancer and leave a world without cancer one day.
