People’s Daily Online, Beijing, April 19 (Reporter Sun Hongli) Cancer often makes people feel disgusted, because many types of cancer treatment methods are few and ineffective. It is also for this reason that the theme of the National Cancer Prevention and Control Awareness Week from April 15 to 21 this year is “Cancer Prevention, Early Action”.
Why “early” to deal with cancer? How should it be “early”? The WeChat official account of the Beijing Center for Disease Control and Prevention issued a document today suggesting that 30% to 50% of cancers can be prevented by eliminating or minimizing exposure to risk factors. Taking action to reduce the likelihood of cancer as much as possible is the best solution to the threat of cancer.
In addition, early detection and early treatment can often achieve twice the result with half the effort. This requires us to pay attention to small changes in the body, such as changes in bowel/urinating habits, repeated bleeding, lumps in the body, difficulty swallowing, persistent cough or hoarseness, etc., and seek medical attention promptly. It is also necessary to regularly choose a professional medical institution for health examinations, actively complete each physical examination, and identify adverse factors in the body as soon as possible and intervene as soon as possible.
Under normal conditions, cells in the human body will grow and divide to form new cells according to the needs of the body. When old or damaged cells die, they are replaced by these new cells. When cancer occurs, cells’ normal processes of growth and death are disrupted. Therefore, cancer is also known as a “disease of cells”. What factors increase the risk of developing cancer?
Beijing CDC pointed out that the factors that increase the risk of cancer include unmodifiable genetic factors, and modifiable environmental factors and lifestyle factors.
Environmental factors include exposure to various carcinogens, such as ionizing radiation, ultraviolet rays, aflatoxins, infections caused by certain viruses or bacteria, etc., which should be kept away from and avoided in life. Lifestyle factors are a priority for cancer prevention, as approximately one-third of cancer deaths result from tobacco use, overweight/obesity, consumption of alcoholic beverages, low dietary fiber intake, and physical inactivity.
Therefore, the Beijing CDC advises that you should not use tobacco; maintain a healthy weight; eat a healthy diet with plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits; be physically active; avoid or reduce consumption of alcoholic beverages.
“Cancer is not the same as a ‘death sentence’. Early detection and early treatment of cancer can also achieve good therapeutic effects.” The Beijing CDC reminds that early diagnosis can prevent cancer from developing and spreading. for early detection of cancer. Cancers detected early and treated effectively have better outcomes, lower costs, better long-term survival and better quality of life. But if the cancer is diagnosed at an advanced stage, treatment at this time is often less effective.