By Nimer G. Shaheen, Director Surgeon, General Laparoscopic Surgery, Oncology Surgery, Athens Medical Center
Hippocrates likens cancer to a "crab", with its body representing the tumor and its legs the neoplastic vessels that cancer uses in order to feed to the detriment of the human organism.
Later on, in 1704, a doctor describes a "local phenomenon", which if not removed surgically could advance through the lymphatic vessels and cause damage to the whole organism.
What is this phenomenon?
Malignant neoplasms (cancers) are a group of cells of the same organ, which reproduce without control, faster and at a higher rate than normal cells. At the same time, they lack genes that would control the beginning and the end of their life, as is the case with normal cells; they do not recognize and do not respect their boundaries in order to remain in their place. As a result, they never die and are able to migrate to other organs (metastasis).
Who knows what cancer is?
To the question "what is cancer" that had been raised to students, 40% knew quite well its meaning, 14% were sure that it is a deadly disease, while 46% did not know anything about it.
To the question "If they had relatives who had to treat this disease”, 70% responded positively, but no one called the disease with its name. Instead, it was referred to as the “out of here," "bad illness" or just "illness" (the most educated) or "you know ... away from us".
Over the course of their lives, more than 1/3 of the world's population is expected to be affected by cancer and of those, an important percentage, which varies depending on the type of the cancer they develop, will lose the battle with the disease.
Apathy, imperfect knowledge and indifference are the three weapons with which we ourselves arm cancer and help him kill us.
How is cancer treated?
There are three strategies for dealing with different types of cancer:
- Primary prevention, which focuses on avoiding factors that contribute to the development of cancer (Etiological factors)
- Secondary prevention, which focuses on early diagnosis and aims at treating the disease as early as possible
- Therapeutic treatment for the clinically manifest types of the malignant neoplasia.
Having as a given the aim to avoid the stage of the clinically manifested type of the disease, we emphasize on primary and secondary prevention.
Which factors affect cancer growth?
Sedentary life
It has been estimated that 32% of cancers of the colon can be related to sedentary life. Exercise helps with the faster export of bowel content and of feces out of the body. So, it reduces the contact time of the colon cells with carcinogens possibly contained within the intestinal content.
Alcohol consumption
Drinking alcohol in small quantities is not harmful to health. This amounts to 1 to 2 drinks a day for men, and up to 1 drink a day for women. Excessive consumption though and overuse have been associated with increased risk for cancer of the oral cavity, the esophagus, the pharynx, the larynx, the breast and the liver.
The harmful effect of alcohol is significantly increased when combined with smoking.
Smoking
Tobacco has 3,220 chemicals. Of these, 22 substances are carcinogenic. Smoking is considered to play a part in about 25-30% of cancer deaths. It is responsible for 90% of lung cancer deaths. At this point, it is worth mentioning in a survey carried out among 63 children regarding “what diseases does smoking cause?". 25 of the children knew quite well the diseases, 22 knew the most important one and 17 ignored the diseases caused by smoking.
Bad nutrition
Cancer is the second most important cause death today and this is mainly due to poor diet. Our nutritional choices when we sit at the table define essentially the chances we give ourselves to develop cancer.
The kind and the quality of our diet as well as the way food is prepared play an important role. A diet rich in saturated fats of animal origin is associated with greater risk for cancer development than a diet with low saturated fat.
Diet related risk for cancer can increase or decrease when:
- we include ingredients in our diet that help its development
- our diet lacks nutritional ingredients that are proven to fight the development of cancer
- we consume food originating from plants that has the ability to reduce the risk of developing cancer
Choose food rich in fiber and low fat content such as: Whole grains, Vegetables, Fruit, Pulses, Fish, Chicken without its skin, Low fat dairy products (milk, yogurt, and cheese),
Avoid foods rich in fat and low in fiber such as: Meat with high fat content (lamb, pork), chicken with skin, Fried foods, Butter, Margarine, Oils, Mayonnaise, Sauces, High fat dairy products (milk, yogurt, cheese), Salted meat, Food smoked and grilled on charcoal, Sweets.
Opt for popcorn, fruit and nuts from potato chips and the similar snacks when you watch TV.
Exposure to the sun
Exposure to the ultraviolet rays of the sun is responsible for almost all cases of basal cell and acanthocytic skin cancers. Also, the same radiation is responsible, in greatly, for malignant melanomas.
Avoiding solar radiation, using sun creams with SPF over 15, protective clothing and hats, avoiding sunless tanning with lamps, shades that filter out the ultraviolet rays, are all effective measures for the prevention of skin cancer.
Infections from viruses and other microbial factors
A significant number of microbial factors have causal relationship with certain types of cancers. Those factors belong to the families of the viruses, bacteria and parasites.
Human Papillomavirus - Warts is the cause for most cancers of the cervix.
Hepatitis B and C viruses can cause liver cancer.
The HIV virus favors the development of lymphomas and sarcomas.
The Helicobacter pylori, a bacterium that causes ulcers in the digestive system, has been associated with the occurrence of stomach cancer.
Environmental factors
Many environmental factors are responsible for causing cancer. Various substances, such as asbestos, which was widely used as an insulator material over the past decades, have been associated with at least two types of lung cancer. Alongside, it was observed that exposure to asbestos, when accompanied by smoking, increases the risk for cancer risk by 90 times.
Also, aromatic amines, used in some industries, are the cause of bladder cancer. Benzene, used in varnishes and gums, greatly increases the risk for leukemia.
Family history
The immediate relatives of those who have developed certain types of cancer are more likely to also develop cancer either of the same or another type. When there are an elevated number of cancer cases, it is possible that there is some genetic background.
People with a family history of cancer of the colon, breast, ovaries and prostate, should be particularly careful and systematically undergo the detective – preventive examinations proposed by the attending physician, because they belong to the high risk group.
Conclusion
Fifty years ago people died of cancer without even knowing it. Since then and thanks to the mass media, brochures and speeches of experts, people have gained information -and continue to do so- on cancer, the factors that favor its development, such as smoking and alcohol, as well as the factors that help in the fight by increasing the defense of the organism against the invader.
If all the points developed above become conscious to all of us, then we have already gone one step ahead of fight against cancer, bearing in mind that "if not you want when you are able, when you want you will not be able".
Prevention and protection play an important role in putting the "brake" on the disease and as a Chinese proverb says: "we cannot stop the rain, we can, however, share umbrellas".
The TEPPY report on smoking
If we consider the non-smoker's mortality rate equal to the unit, he himself a factor for various causes of death that can be associated with smoking, forms as follows among smokers:
- Neoplasms of the lungs 10.8
- Cirrhosis of the liver 2.2
- Bronchitis and emphysema 6.1
- Neoplasms of bladder 1.9
- Neoplasms of the larynx 5.4
- Coronary diseases 1.7
- Neoplasms of the esophagus 3.4
- Arterial hypertension 1.5
- Gastroduodenal ulcer 2.8
- General arteriosclerosis 1.5
- Circulatory diseases 2.6
- Renal neoplasms 1.5
- Other causes of death 1.6
European Code Against Cancer
Some cancers can be avoided and general health can improve if we adopt a healthier lifestyle.
Most cancers can be cured if detected early.
1) Do not smoke. Smokers stop smoking as soon as possible and do not smoke in the presence of others making them passive smokers. If you do not smoke, do not experiment with smoke.
2) If you drink alcohol, beer, wine or any other kind, mitigate its consumption.
3) Increase the daily consumption of vegetables and fresh fruit. Include in your daily diet high-fiber cereals.
4) Avoid excessive sun exposure and sunburns, especially during childhood. Avoid sunless tanning.
5) Apply strict rules aimed at preventing any exposure to known carcinogens. Follow all health and safety instructions for substances which may be carcinogenic.
6) Visit the doctor when you notice an abnormality - body dysfunction which did not exist before.
7) Visit your doctor if you have a problem with bowel function stomach or other organs of your body.
Motto: “Excessive eating has the key that opens the door to all diseases. ‘Make your food medicine and your medicine food’, Hippocrates”
TIPS FOR A HEALTY DIET
- Eat when and as much as you are hungry
- Regular meal time helps a lot but is not mandatory
- Do not eat out of gluttony more than you are hungry
- The ancients recommended: "Get up from the table while you feel you can still eat"
- Do not eat fast. Chew well; otherwise you burden the stomach with the job of the teeth and salivary glands.
- Do not eat hot food or hot bread and
- Do not drink extremely frozen beverages or water.
Suspicious symptoms
Visit a specialist when you discover:
- A wound that does not heal
- Unusual bleeding or fluid discharge (e.g. from the breast, bowel, vagina)
- Cough that continues for a long time or hoarse voice
- A lump or hardness anywhere on the skin
- A mole that grows suddenly, multiplies or shows lesions
- Changes in the feces or dyspeptic symptoms that persist
- Difficulty in swallowing
- Great, unwarranted weight loss in a short time
The above indications should not be a cause for panic, as they do not always confirm the presence of cancer, but must be regarded as a wakeup call.
