GUEST COLUMN
Saturday, 05 February 2022 | Dr Gaurav Sanjay
Dr. Gaurav Sanjay
As done every year, the World Cancer Day was held on February 4 to raise awareness on cancer and its prevention, detection and treatment.World Cancer Day originated on February 4, 2000, during the world cancer conference in Paris, France.The awareness programme conducted on this day is to remove the stigma which is associated with cancer.
Cancer is the world’s second leading cause of death.It is a preventable disease and is mainly caused due to adulteration of food and presence of pollution in the environment. After the industrialisation era, there has been an increased incidence of cancer in almost every organ of the body.Industrialisation has increased the use of many chemicals in the industries. The body is directly exposed to some of these chemicals as it is seen in the colour and paint industries. Similarly, the use of chemicals like pesticides and fertilizers in agriculture and horticulture has contaminated the groundwater. Adulteration in food products, the pollution of water and air has increased tremendously after the industrialisation age.Hundreds of carcinogens are spread all around us. It usually takes almost 10 years of close contact with any carcinogen to cause cancer.
The third most common cause of cancer is change of lifestyle associated with increased incidence of smoking, consumption of alcohol and chewing of tobacco. Tobacco chewing is the main cause of mouth cancer and alcohol is main cause of liver cirrhosis leading to liver cancer in our country.
We know that prevention is better than cure. We all should try to prevent getting affected by cancer. Improper diet, contaminated and adulterated food, and pollution of air, water and soil are the common causes of cancer. Diet plays a vital role in maintaining our good health. Bad food habits, inadequate physical activity, obesity and lifestyle diseases like diabetes are also linked with cancer. Green vegetables and fresh fruits are known to prevent cancer because these contain many antioxidants and polyphenols which reduce the formation of free radicals in the body which are known to damage the normal cells and to cause cancer. Green tea is the healthiest and probably one of the cheapest beverages on the planet which is loaded with hundreds of micro nutrients and plenty of antioxidants which not only improve our brain function but also reduce the body weight and decrease the risk of cancer.
Cancer is usually defined as uncontrolled growth of cells which is clinically presented with gradually increasing pain which is usually not relieved with the ordinary painkiller, gradual increase of any lump or swelling in any part or organ of the body. The lump or swelling are easily visible in the superficial parts of the body like breast, oral cavity and extremities but it takes more time to become palpable in internal organs or internal parts of the body like intestine, liver, uterus etc. The third presentation of cancer would be dysfunction of an involved part or organ of the body. If any one of the symptoms is noticed by an individual then in such a situation one should consult a qualified doctor to rule out cancer.
The diagnosis can only be confirmed by tissue biopsy. Biopsy is a small procedure in which a small quantity of representative tissue or fluid is taken from the suspected area to be examined by the pathologist. If cancer is confirmed, then the treatment should be started as soon as possible.
Another characteristic of cancer is to spread distally and to other organs and recurrence of tumor, both these things usually occur when cancer is diagnosed late and treated late or inadequately. The recurrence is usually caused if tumor cells are left at the time of surgery inadvertently or cancer cannot be removed if it involves the vital structure like arteries, nerves or any other vital organs. The distal spread of cancer can be controlled with chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
The most important factor which influences the outcome of the treatment depends upon the age, comorbidities of the patient, type, site, size, stage and quality of surgery and the doubling time of the cancer. Many patients consult the doctor with a delayed presentation because many times, at an early stage, these tumours are painless and hence neglected by the patients as they don’t consider it worth consulting a doctor. In rare cases, it maybe missed by a doctor also specially in a poor health infrastructure setup.
The increasing prevalence of cancer is a major public health concern across the world- a big problem for developing countries like India with poor socio- economic condition and poor health infrastructure. Cancer awareness and early detection should be a priority for all governments particularly in our socio economic scenario because cancer treatment is specialised and usually very expensive. It will be worthwhile to educate and spread awareness among the people to take steps to prevent cancer and realise the importance of early detection and adequate treatment because early detection of cancer leads to a better outcome.
(The author is an orthopaedic surgeon based in Dehradun. Views expressed are personal)
