Raising awareness

Feb. 4 marked World Cancer Day, a time to focus on raising awareness of the disease in all its many forms as well as shine a light on the progress that has been made in detecting, treating and possibly one day eliminating cancer.

It also marked more than two decades of the movement according to worldcancerday.org.

According to the website, this is a global uniting initiative led by the Union for International Cancer Contro l (UICC).

The mission statement of the website states that by raising worldwide awareness, improving education and catalyzing personal, collective and government action, progress is being made to reimagine a world where millions of preventable cancer deaths are saved and access to life-saving cancer treatment and care is equal for all - no matter who you are or where you live.

It is the organization’s goal to reduce the number of premature deaths from cancer and noncommunicable diseases by one third by 2030.

According to worldcancerday. org, 9.6 million people die each year from cancer. That’s more than HIV/ AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined, according to the website and it is estimated that by 2030, cancer deaths to rise to 13 million.

The website also shares that at least one third of common cancers are preventable, cancer is the second-leading cause of death worldwide, and 70% of cancer deaths occur in low-to-middle income countries and according to the website, up to 3.7 million lives could be saved each year by implementing resource appropriate strategies for prevention, early detection and treatment.

The total annual economic cost of cancer is estimated at US$1.16 trillion.

Cancers can be caused by a number of different factors and, as with many other illnesses; most cancers are the result of exposure to a number of different causal factors, according to worldcancerday.org.

It is important to remember that, while some factors cannot be modified, around one third of cancer cases can be prevented by reducing behavioral and dietary risks.

Some modifiable risk facto include alcohol consumption, being overweight/obese, diet and nutrition, lack of physical activity and tobacco consumption to name a few.

Other factors can include exposure to radiation such as radon, x-rays, gamma rays and other forms of high-energy radiation. Prolonged and unprotected exposure to ultraviolet radiations from the sun, sunlamps and tanning beds can also lead to melanoma and skin malignancies.

Work place hazards such as chemical dyes and asbestos and exposure to Human papillomavirus (HPV).

Signs to be aware of and proactive in speaking to a doctor about include, unusual lumps or swelling, coughing, breathlessness or difficulty swallowing, changes in bowel habit, unexpected bleeding, unexplained weight loss, fatigue, new mole or changes to a mole, complications with urinating, unusual breast changes, appetite loss, a sore or ulcer that won’t heal, persistent heartburn or indigestion, heavy night sweats.

By being aware of changes we may be experiencing, early detection and treatment may be possible.

To learn more visit worldcancerday.org.