How to prevent cancer?
Yet, there is no clear system of prevention has been developed for most cancers, so cause of this disease has not fully explored. The main etiological factor in some forms of the disease treated certain carcinogens, and others – the presence of hereditary diseases, viral diseases, etc.
For example, cancer of the cervix to the presence of female carriers of certain forms of human papillomavirus. To prevent the disease even developed the experimental vaccine. However, they have become widely used only since 2006, so to speak with confidence about their effectiveness is premature.
Despite the lack of clear data on the causes of cancer, for each individual disease seen a lot of links to factors that could cause it. For example, among those who smoke several times increased risk of lung cancer – the most common and one of the most dangerous cancer. In addition, smoking is a risk factor for many cancers. Frequent consumption of fatty foods and red meat is associated with risk of colorectal cancer.
There is no method to prevent 100% any disease.
But to significantly reduce the risk of malignancies, it is enough to make some fairly simple rules. This is all that is included in the concept of “healthy lifestyle”. However, for each of the following items there were significant associations with a significant reduction in cancer risk, proven large population studies.
- Quitting smoking
- The fight against obesity
- Regular exercise
- Diet with a daily consumption of plant foods, dairy products, limit consumption of red meat, the rejection of a fatty and spicy foods
- Regular check-ups and passing examinations in accordance with the age and risk group.
Development of programs of early diagnosis and screening is one of the priorities of cancer and can significantly improve treatment outcomes. Screening means a set of diagnostic tools that are easy to use, do not require large time and financial resources with which may regularly conduct effective informative survey of large population groups.
Screening programs are designed for all common types of cancer. India lacks a centralized system of routine inspections of the population, but they should be mandatory or recommended by your family physician. List of studies to be carried out regularly, the same for all groups. People at high risk for cancer (presence of certain genetic syndromes, cancer among relatives of the first line) should be the same study, but at an earlier age. Recommended age in this case – for 5 years before the earliest age of diagnosis of cancer with a relative first-line (or with the recommended age of onset of screening, depending on which of them before).
Listed above the screening methods that are effective for early diagnosis of cancer and improve the results of his treatment for all people, regardless of the presence of risk factors.
However, there are other common cancers, for which there is no sufficient evidence for the effectiveness of preventive screening the entire population, but screening certainly shows the presence of persons with certain risk factors.
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