The reason why anyone should go through this article is because it concerns you. If not today then tomorrow, unfortunately. Death from Infectious diseases are expected to decline by 3% (may be higher due to the swach abhyan) and those who are suffering from chronic and no communicable diseases such as heart problems and cancer are likely to increase by 17% over the next 10 years. If that doesn`t alarm you still, you should know that more than 60% of the new cancer cases occur in Africa, Asia and South America.

Having understood the gravity of the situation one should be aware that 30% of the times cancer is preventable or at least it can be detected at the earliest which could ensure likely cure if treated appropriately.

Some of the known and preventable causes of cancer are listed below.

TOBACCO

We all know that tobacco is the most leading cause of cancer as it affects every organ and can cause cancer to any part of the body. However, one should also know that not only active but passive smoking as well can lead to cancer.

DIET AND CANCER

Poor dietary habits like High calorie diet (fatty, Pizza etc), a diet with low fibre content, high red meat content, fried and burnt food and consumption of low quantity of fruits and vegetables are some of the poor dietary habits which can cause cancers. To put things into perspective one should go through the image below.

OBESITY

It has been shown that reduced physical exercise and obesity is seen frequently amongst cancer patients. The reason behind this is ascribed to the estrogen content and the inflammation caused by fat cells, which cause cancer.

Intake of UNPROCESSED MEAT

In India, the North East has maximum incidence of cancer of the upper gastrointestinal tract. The major reason behind it is their dietary habits. Intake of large quantities of unprocessed meat, burnt and spicy raw meat is one of the major reasons of stomach and esophageal cancers.

GENETIC CAUSES

If you have a known first of multiple second-degree relatives who are or have suffered from cancer then you should consult an oncologist for best cancer treatment. Cancer can be caused by defective genes which are passed on from one generation to the other.  Remember the Angelina Jolie effect?

The other known causes of cancer are exposure to radiation, viral infections, hormonal reasons, and environmental factors.

In the next article, we will focus on what are the warning signs of cancer that one should be on the lookout for. We will also focus on what tests we can do to early diagnose and act at the earliest stage.

For more information, you can contact--

Dr. Archit Pandit
Senior Consultant, Surgical Oncologist
Div. Gastrointestinal and Gynaec Oncology
Max Super Speciality Hospital, DelhiContact: 09711130457

Contact: 09711130457
drarchitpandit@gmail.com

Sama Hospital
8 Siri Fort Road, New Delhi