Cancer: Disease or Death?? (Part 2)

RISK FACTORS & CANCER TYPES.

I bet you didn't know this... about cancer. 

• Approximately 9.6 million cancer deaths by December last year.
• Second leading cause of death globally.
• About 1 in 6 deaths is due to cancer globally.
• Approximately 70% of deaths from cancer occur in the developing countries. For more info.visit (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK54028/
• Tobacco use is the most important risk factor for cancer.
• Cancer causing infections such as human papilloma virus (HPV), are also a great threat cancer.
• Late-stage detection, inaccessible diagnosis and treatment are common among developing countries.
• Can either be benign (localized) or malignant (can spread to invade other body parts).

According to World Health Organisation (WHO);

Here are the most common cancers:-

1. Lung cancer
2. Breast cancer
3. Colorectal cancer
4. Prostate cancer
5. Skin cancer
6. Stomach cancer

 Cancers resulting to most deaths globally are:

1. Lung cancer
2. Colorectal cancer
3. Stomach cancer
4. Liver cancer
5. Breast cancer

In my previous blog (https://mentormartinke.blogspot.com/2019/12/cancer-disease-or-death-part-1.html), I highlighted about genes. The change in function of these genes is affected by environmental, behavioral and even hereditary factors.This now forms the risk factors.

Cancer lacks causes but has risk factors. This is like what is speculated to result to cancer. However, the cause of cervical cancer is known. It's caused by a virus called Human Papilloma Virus (HPV).

It's our responsibility to avoid these risk factors or else...

These risk factors include:

• alcohol use
• lack of physical activity
• tobacco use including cigarettes and smokeless tobacco
• ionizing and ultraviolet radiation
• urban air pollution
• being overweight or obese
• unhealthy diet with low fruit and vegetable intake
• sexually transmitted infections such as HPV-related
• infection by Hepatitis, Cytomegalovirus, Herpes virus or other carcinogenic infections
• indoor smoke from household use of solid fuels.

Early detection, diagnosis, and the right treatment will play a great role in eradicating this menace.

In one of my coming blogs, I'll address the grading and staging of cancer. Sometimes you'll hear a victim saying, "Unfortunately, I was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer." What does it actually mean??

Cancer: Disease or Death? (part 3) coming...