Cancer is curable if detected early
The chances of it being cured are higher than when it is detected late.
Cancer is one of the known causes of deaths, killing more people than tuberculosis, aids and malaria combined, according to the Cancer Association of South Africa (Cansa).
If it is detected early, the chances of it being cured are far better than when it is detected late.
Allison Vienings, the Executive Director of the Self-Medication Manufacturers Association of South Africa (Smasa) gives the following important information in view of World Cancer Day, which is celebrated annually on 4 February.
Symptoms and treatments
Some of the symptoms associated with cancer can include lumps, coughing and breathlessness, abnormal breathing, unexplained weight loss and pain.
“The treatment of cancer varies from case to case. Doctors recommend treatment options, depending on the type and stage of cancer, taking the possible side effects and the patient’s overall health into account,” explains Vienings.
The most common cancer treatments include surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy, used either alone or in conjunction with other therapies.
The first treatment a patient receives is called first-line therapy and if this ceases to work, the patient will receive second-line therapy. In certain cases, third-line therapy may be used as well.
Prevention
According to the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), some 1,5 million premature cancer deaths could be prevented every year if targets set to reduce non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are met by 2025.
With up to 90 per cent of cancers caused by environmental and lifestyle related factors, the conditions in which people live and work, and their lifestyles may increase the risk of cancer.
“Promoting healthy lifestyles is essential to reducing cancers,” says Vienings.
Incorporating the following changes may reduce and prevent lifestyle and environmentally related cancers:
• Avoid prolonged periods of exposure to the sun.
• Quit smoking – the use of tobacco is linked to 71 per cent of lung cancer deaths.
• Reduce the amount of alcohol consumed – alcohol is linked to an increased risk of cancer and may increase the risk of liver cancer.
• Become more active – obesity and people who are overweight are strongly linked to an increased risk of bowel, breast, pancreatic and kidney cancers.
SMASA urges every South African to start taking better care of themselves through healthy eating, exercise and basic lifestyle changes and avoid factors that may contribute to an increased risk of cancer.
If you think you might have any or all of the symptoms associated with cancer, visit your local health care professional or doctor immediately and ensure that you schedule regular check-ups with your doctor for early detection.
