We all know people around us who have had cancer in one form or another. Some of them may have lost their lives. Some may still be struggling with it. And fortunately, some have recovered from the disease, thanks to many advances in therapy methods. However, despite all these advances, the disease is still there. It continues to be a common health problem all around the world.
Some basic facts about cancer
- In 2018, 18 million people around the world were newly diagnosed with a malignant tumour.
- Again in 2018, about 9.5 million people died of malignancies. It is the number two killer in the world, only second to heart disease.
- The most common killers among cancers are lung, colorectal, stomach, liver and breast cancers.
- It can affect everyone, no matter the socioeconomic status.
- Smoking is the single, most common, preventable cause of cancer.
The cancer burden is growing globally, causing physical pain, emotional disturbance and financial strain. And if we don’t do anything, the number of newly diagnosed cancers will increase from 18 million in 2018 to 29.5 million people in 2040. This increase is preventable.
There is no doubt that cancer is an enemy. Fighting this enemy needs determination, knowledge and a willingness to change. But first, we need to know the enemy well. Knowledge is our key weapon in this fight. So, maybe it is not bad to know a little bit about how cancers develop.
What is cancer and how it develops?
The following video gives us an overview of the biology of a malignant tumour. It starts with the definition of cancer and goes with how it develops and what are the characteristics that make cancers our enemies.
What more we need to know?
There are many things we can do to combat cancer. Today, we know that about one-third of the deaths from cancer are due to our lifestyle factors like smoking, alcohol, obesity, lack of exercise. And 30 to 50 percent of cancers are preventable by just paying attention to some simple lifestyle factors.
We have already talked about cancer screening. There are other things useful to know in our fight against cancers: What are the risk factors, what is the role of vaccination in the prevention of some cancers, what are the lifestyle factors that need to change? Knowledge is power, and fighting against cancer requires power. Click on the following link to learn more about the scientific ways to fight cancers.
