The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) of the World Health Organization (WHO) has published the latest estimates of the global burden of cancer. It shows that there will be an estimated 20 million new cancer cases and 9.7 million deaths in 2022. Approximately 1 in 5 people will develop cancer in their lifetime, and approximately 1 in 9 men and 1 in 12 women will die due to the disease.
According to statistics, lung cancer is the most common and cause of loss of life worldwide. Lung cancer accounts for approximately 12.4 percent of 2.5 million new cases, while breast cancer ranks second in women with 2.3 million cases, followed by colorectal cancer with 1.9 million cases and prostate cancer with 1.5 million cases.
“There are differences according to gender”
Reminding that the incidence of cancer and its rate of causing loss of life may vary, Prof. Dr. Serkan Çelik gave the following information:
“When we look at the cancers that cause loss of life, we see that lung cancer comes first. This is followed by colorectal cancer with 9.3 percent of cancer-related deaths, and liver cancer and breast cancer with 7.8 percent.
There are some differences in disease occurrence and death rates by gender in global totals for both genders. While the most commonly diagnosed cancer and leading cause of cancer deaths in women is breast cancer, in men it is lung cancer. Breast cancer remains the most common cancer in women in the vast majority of countries.”
Stating that there are more than 100 types of cancer in the world today, Prof. Dr. Çelik explained that there can be many types of cancer even in the same organ. Prof. Dr. Çelik said, “The conditions required for the formation of these species, their treatments and the behavior of each vary,” and added, therefore, being correctly informed about these diseases is very important for cancer prevention and early diagnosis.
Is cancer a preventable disease?
Underlining that cancer is a highly preventable disease, Prof. Dr. Çelik explained that in order to be protected, all risks that may cause disease should be known and protective measures should be taken accordingly. Categorizing cancer-related risk factors into three groups: advanced age, familial predisposition and environmental factors, Dr. Çelik stated that the most important risk factor for the disease is environmental factors and that these can be prevented.
“Start by changing modifiable risk factors”
“Environmental factors are the primary factors that cause cancer. The relationship between these factors and cancer has been previously shown in many clinical studies. It is often possible to protect yourself from cancer by avoiding these known risk factors,” said Prof. Dr. Serkan Çelik explained the precautions to be taken.
“There is no safe level of use of cigarettes”
Pointing out tobacco use (active smoking, passive smoking, tobacco chewing) as the most important preventable risk factor that causes cancer, Prof. Dr. Çelik said, “It can cause the most common types of cancer, especially lung cancer, mouth, larynx, esophagus, stomach, pancreas, kidney, bladder, cervical, and large intestine cancer. There is no safe level of use of cigarettes. In addition, constantly being in an environment where smoking (passive smoking) can increase the risk of cancer, even if not smoked personally. Someone who giving up smoking has a longer lifespan than someone who hasn’t give up since the moment they give up. Therefore, it is never too late to give up smoking.”
How to eat to protect yourself from cancer?
Recording that nutrition has a very important place in preventing cancer and that it is possible to be protected from cancer by 40-50 percent by changing your lifestyle with a healthy diet, Internal Medicine and Medical Oncology Specialist at Yeditepe University Hospitals, Prof. Dr. Serkan Çelik said, “By controlling your weight with a healthy diet, it is possible to protect not only from cancer but also from important diseases such as cardiovascular diseases and diabetes.” He explained the following about how to eat to protect against cancer: “Choose a diet based on plant foods (vegetables, fruits, grains, legumes), such as the Mediterranean diet. Consume 5 portions of vegetables and fruits every day. Choose whole grain products, and if you are going to consume food of animal origin, choose seafood. Avoid calorie-dense foods such as packaged foods, sodas, deep-fried foods or sherbet desserts. Reduce red meat consumption to 1-2 times a week at most. Minimize consumption of processed meat (salami, sausage, soudjouk). Adopt an active lifestyle. Exercise (brisk walking, jogging, etc.) for at least 150 minutes a week.”
“Obesity is the cause of many cancers”
Reminding that obesity, one of the most important diseases and global problems of our age, is also one of the modifiable risk factors for cancer, Dr. Çelik said, “The main causes of obesity are poor nutrition and sedentary lifestyle. It can directly cause breast, colon, esophagus, kidney, bladder, uterus and pancreatic cancers. Therefore, it is possible to be protected from both obesity and cancer by following healthy nutrition recommendations and exercising regularly.”
“The less alcohol, the less risk”
Pointing out that alcohol can increase the risk of cancer even if consumed in small amounts, Prof. Dr. Serkan Çelik said, “It increases the risk of mouth, throat, esophagus, larynx and breast cancer, especially liver cancer. The more alcohol consumed, the greater the risk of cancer.”
Vaccination may provide protection for some cancers
Stating that infections are one of the most important causes of cancer, Prof. Dr. Serkan Çelik continued his words as follows, “It is possible to be protected against mouth and pharynx cancers in addition to cervical cancer by vaccination against the virus called HPV (Human papillomavirus), which causes almost all cervical cancer. For this reason, experts recommend that all children starting from the age of 9 (the ideal age is 11-12) be vaccinated to protect against this cancer. Similarly, it is possible to protect against cancer by vaccination against the Hepatitis B virus, which causes cirrhosis and later liver cancer at a significant rate.”
Be protected so that the sun can be your friend
Stating that the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays can cause premature aging of the skin and skin cancer, Prof. Dr. Çelik reminded the precautions to be taken, “If you need to go out between 10:00 and 16:00, when the sun rays are more intense, it is necessary to use a hat, long sleeves and sunglasses that protect from UV rays. In this way, the sensitive area around the head and eyes is protected. Applying sunscreen with at least 15 factor (according to some experts, 30 factor) to exposed areas (face, arms, legs, etc.) in sunny weather, no matter when, is another precaution that will help protect against skin cancer. Apart from sun rays, solarium use also causes skin cancer because it exposes people to UV rays.”
