Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide, causing 8.2 million deaths in 2012, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). In the next 20 years, the number of cancer cases is estimated to rise from 14 million in 2012 to 22 million annually. More than 60 percent of new cancer cases worldwide each year occur in Africa, Asia and Central and South America, which account for about 70 percent of cancer deaths worldwide. About 30 percent of cancer deaths result from five major behavioral and dietary risk factors: high body mass index, low fruit and vegetable intake, physical inactivity, tobacco use and alcohol consumption. Tobacco use is the most significant carcinogenic risk factor, contributing to more than 22% of cancer deaths worldwide and approximately 71% of lung cancer deaths worldwide. It has been reported that cancer has accounted for 19% of the causes of death in China, ranking first among the common causes of death, which is close to the level of developed countries; while in China, Beijing and Shanghai are 24% and 26% respectively, which means that one out of every four deaths in these two major cities is due to cancer. In the face of such high incidence and high mortality rate of cancer, what should we do as common people!
I. Improve living environment and change bad habits
The governance of the general environment depends on the government to make relevant laws and regulations, while for each of us, the most important thing is to quit smoking and not to abuse alcohol, and change our bad habits.
WHO has put forward 5 recommendations to prevent cancer through reasonable living habits.
1.Avoid animal fat
2.Increase crude fiber
3.Reduce meat
4.Increase fresh fruits and vegetables
5.Avoid obesity
Smoking is the main causative factor of lung cancer, and for non-smoking lung cancer, some studies believe that it may be related to eating more fried staple foods and bacon, while the protective factors are eating more carotenoids and drinking tea. In addition to lung cancer, almost all common cancers are related to obesity, including esophageal cancer, colorectal cancer, liver cancer, bile duct cancer, pancreatic cancer, kidney cancer, malignant lymphoma and multiple myeloma; among men, there are stomach cancer and prostate cancer; among women, there are breast cancer, endometrial cancer, cervical cancer and ovarian cancer.
In 2003, WHO refined the recommendations on cancer prevention as follows
1. Normal adults should maintain a relatively stable weight within the normal range and avoid weight gain of more than 5 kg.
2. To maintain normal physical activity, for example, there should be a certain amount of moderate intensity physical activity every day, such as walking for 60 minutes daily, in order to maintain a healthy weight. Intense activities such as walking on an empty stomach may be beneficial for cancer prevention.
3.Drink less alcohol, preferably not alcohol.
4.Chinese style salted fish should not be eaten more often, especially by children. The intake of pickled food and salt should be moderate.
5.Reduce food contamination by aflatoxin.
6.At least 400 grams of fruits and vegetables should be consumed daily.
7.It is best to limit the consumption of preserved meat (such as sausage, Italian sausage, cured meat and ham, etc.).
8. Do not eat or drink hot food and drinks.
Regular health check-ups for cancer prevention
Through necessary cancer prevention health checkups, not only early tumors can be detected, but also precancerous lesions can be found. The so-called precancerous lesion means that it is not cancer itself, but on the basis of which cancer is prone to occur. At present, the precancerous lesions include cystic hyperplasia of breast, chronic atrophic gastritis, gastric ulcer, familial multiple colorectal polyps, oral leukoplakia, chronic migratory hepatitis, cervical erosion, long-term non-healing ulcers and scarring in various parts of the body, etc. The WHO expert group has determined the relationship between some infections and cancer through existing studies: for example, hepatitis B virus (HBV) and primary liver cancer, human papilloma virus (HPV) and cervical cancer. (HPV) and cervical and anal cancers, Helicobacter pylori (HP) and gastric cancer and gastric lymphoma, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and lymphoma and nasopharyngeal cancer, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and Kaposi’s sarcoma and lymphoma, schistosomiasis and bladder cancer, and hepatic schistosomiasis and mixed bile duct cancer. Reducing or avoiding these corresponding infections has the potential to reduce the incidence of associated cancers. By treating precancerous lesions promptly and effectively, it is possible to reduce the development of some cancers significantly. Therefore, it is possible to detect precancerous lesions or early cancers early through screening and cancer prevention health checkups, which can effectively improve the effect of cancer treatment and reduce cancer mortality.
Strengthen exercise and psychological adjustment to improve disease resistance
Moderate exercise can not only reduce the incidence of cardiovascular diseases, but also be beneficial to cancer prevention. A recent study in Taiwan concluded that even 15 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity five days a week can significantly reduce the incidence of cancer and mortality, and with the extension of daily exercise time, the effect of cancer prevention is better. In addition, in the face of the pressure of work and life, adjusting our mind and adjusting our psychology are also non-important to cancer prevention. It has been confirmed that people who suffer from depression have a higher incidence of cancer than ordinary people. Therefore, releasing all kinds of stress and adjusting our mind at the right time can also help prevent cancer, just like exercising.