Wellness Article 1: Cancer Prevention: Everyone’s Concern

Most people have been touched somehow by cancer, whether they have witnessed the illness of a friend or relative, or had to deal with biopsies and treatment themselves. In fact, 2 out of every 5 Canadian men (or 40% of the male population) and one third of Canadian women (36%) will develop cancer sometimes in their lives. One in 3.7 men (27%) and 1 in 4.5 women (22%) will die of cancer.

Cancer diagnosis and treatment has improved radically in the past few decades. But though preventive measures are also better understood, many people do not take the basic precautions. Why is that? Cancer is the second leading cause of death in Canada after cardiovascular disease, which claims the lives of 36% of men and 39% of women. Scarier yet, cancer is far and away the leading cause of potential years of life lost (PYLL), because though cancer is mainly a disease of the elderly, it is much more likely than cardiovascular disease to strike in middle age or sooner. Cancer accounts for 29% of the total PYLL from all causes of death. Many of the risk factors associated with cancer are also risk factors for other health problems, so adopting some good habits could add years or even decades to your lifespan.

Source: Canadian Cancer Statistics 2001: http://66.59.133.166/stats/index.html

Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention and Cancer Control
There are many different types of cancers. All of them are characterized by uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells in the body.

According to the Canadian Cancer Statistics 2002, an estimated 136,900 new cases of cancer and 66,200 deaths from cancer will occur in Canada in 2002. With the exception of non-melanoma skin cancer, the most frequently diagnosed cancer will continue to be breast cancer for women and prostate cancer for men. The leading cause of cancer death for both sexes continues to be lung cancer.

There are many known risk factors for cancer. Some risk factors are not modifiable (age, gender, genetic predisposition).

Modifiable risk factors include:

Smoking: Tobacco use is the cause of an estimated 30% of fatal cancers in Canada and the overwhelming cause of lung cancer;

Poor diet -- At least 20 per cent of cancer deaths are linked to a poor diet - including consumption of alcohol. Fruit and vegetable consumption is protective for a variety of cancers, whereas a diet high in red meat, processed meat, and saturated fat has been linked to an increased risk of several cancers;

Sunlight: Skin cancer is the most commonly occurring cancer. One of the main causes of skin cancer is exposure to the sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays.

Additional risk factors for cancer include exposure to workplace or environmental carcinogens, certain infections, and reproductive patterns.