Introduction

Cancer is one of the most dreaded diseases. The condition causes more fear, anxiety and concern than any other health ailment prevalent today. The World Health Organization ranks cancer as a leading cause of morbidity worldwide. Its prevalence in India is quite high, with approximately more than 1300 Indians falling prey to this deadly disease every single day. The Union for International Cancer Control recognizes February 04th as World Cancer Day in order to raise awareness of the various cancers.

The goal of World Cancer Day is to raise awareness of the millions of people worldwide to increase access to early detection and diagnosis.

So, why is World Cancer Day so significant? The greatest obstacle to having cancer screening and early detection is ‘poor awareness.’ Skin cancer, cervical cancer, and breast cancer can all be prevented thanks to screening tests that can catch the disease in their early stages. It is therefore crucial to equip yourself with the appropriate knowledge, as it can help you to act promptly to lower your chances of developing cancer. This can help improve early detection, screening, and diagnosis.

In this post, let’s learn more about the significance of early screening and why skipping it should never be an option.

Most prevalent cancer types

Do you know which cancers are the most common ones? WHO has identified the following cancers as the most prevalent-

  • Colorectal cancer
  • Prostate cancer
  • Skin cancer
  • Stomach cancer  
  • Lung cancer
  • Breast cancer

And the cancers that cause the maximum number of deaths are-

  • Lung cancer
  • Colorectal cancer
  • Stomach cancer
  • Liver cancer
  • Breast cancer

How does cancer screening work?

Cancer screening is the process of finding the disease before symptoms appear. It is more difficult to treat or cure cancer because it is frequently discovered at a later stage. This is when cancer screening is advantageous since it aids in the early detection of malignancies, enabling more successful treatment and recovery. 

People frequently assume that when a doctor suggests a cancer screening test, it means they believe you may have cancer. This is not true at all, though. Even when there are no symptoms of cancer, cancer screening tests should be performed.

World Cancer Day 2023: What are the benefits of early diagnosis

Cancer screening is a crucial part of general healthcare.

A majority of cancers are detectable, and when they are discovered at an early stage, the chance of survival is five years higher than when they are discovered at a later stage.

Research has demonstrated time and time again that detecting cancer early is the greatest way to survive it. Early detection improves cancer outcomes by providing care at the initial stage, and preventing the spread of malignant cells to other parts of the body.

Also, when compared to patients who received an advanced or late diagnosis, the cost of treating cancer patients is 2 to 4 times cheaper when they were diagnosed early.

Can you prevent cancer?

To minimize your risk of getting cancer, you can adopt a few measures as mentioned below – 

Here are some things you must do to fight cancer –

  • Quit smoking immediately. Tobacco is carcinogenic and its particles can cause cancers of the mouth, larynx, throat, cervix, kidney and bladder. Also, try to limit your exposure to second-hand smoking.
  • Drink alcohol in moderation as it can cause liver, kidney, breast, colon and lung cancers in both men and women.
  • Avoid eating red meat. The International Agency For Research On Cancer considers all forms of red meat (such as goat, lamb, pigs) as possibly carcinogenic.  
  • Lose weight. Obesity greatly multiplies the risk of different cancers. Simply go to the gym or a morning run to lose weight.  
  • Protect your skin from the harmful UV rays. At midday, stay indoors. And cover up with caps, sunscreen, and umbrellas.
  • Get vaccinated for Hepatitis B as soon as you can since hepatitis B can cause cancer.
  • If you are exposed to harmful compounds like lead or asbestos, wear protective equipment.

Final thoughts 

It’s critical that you take the required actions today to lower the risk of having cancer in the future. The first step in entirely eliminating the disease from the body is regular screening and health checks. People frequently believe that cancer screening is unnecessary if they don’t have any symptoms. But this couldn’t be farther from the truth. Screening tests differ from diagnostic tests in that they are typically performed on individuals who do not exhibit symptoms in order to determine what is causing specific symptoms.

Information is power and by being informed about the condition, you can take steps to halt the disease’s progression and completely eradicate it before the chances of survival become slim, treatment becomes less effective and quality of life declines.

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Cancer, Disease
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