In recent years there has been a gradual increase in the incidence of malignant tumours. Cancer is the second cause of death after cardiovascular diseases. As much as 80% of the incidence depends on our lifestyle, so we can say with a clear conscience that we are sometimes complicit in the occurrence of cancer.
Cancer prevention - Symptoms and course
The importance of lifestyle and environmental factors:
Approximately 80% of cancers in adults are related to lifestyle and environmental factors. 25-40% (approx. 30%) are linked to smoking. In women this is approximately 20%, in men twice as many.
Tobacco-related cancers include cancers of the lung, larynx, mouth, oesophagus, bladder and pancreas. A smoker of about two packets a day has a 20x higher risk of lung cancer than a non-smoker. It is important to note that passive smoking (i.e. being in a room where there is a smoker) doubles this risk. The smoker's cancer risk decreases gradually after quitting smoking and is similar to that of a non-smoker after 5 years.
Diet is responsible for about 20% of cancers, with a high-fat diet playing a particular role, contributing to cancers of the breast, ovary, endometrium, gastrointestinal tract. Alcohol is the cause of about 2-4% of cancers, occupational exposure is about 5%, and environmental pollution is about 1-5%.
When to go to the doctor and cure
Given the increasing incidence of cancer, and the extremely high impact of lifestyle on the incidence of cancer, we should make great efforts to prevent cancer. If we are concerned about any of the symptoms, we should visit a doctor, who will determine the aetiology of the symptom. We should see a doctor from time to time for a routine examination and take advantage of the widely available screening tests. We need to modify our habits, diet etc. successively so that they do not become the cause of cancer. When we are unable to do this ourselves, we can seek the help of a doctor or dietician.
