LAHORE: Emphasizing the need for international cooperation to reduce the burden of cancer, health professionals said that 30 to 50 percent of cancer can be prevented by adopting a comprehensive strategy.
These views were expressed by the President of the General Cadre Doctors Association Punjab and Public Health Consultant Dr Masood Shaikh while addressing a public seminar at a local hospital.
According to him, cancer is treatable, if diagnosed at early stage. An average of 400,000 children is diagnosed with cancer every year, and more than $116 billion is spent annually on cancer. Lung cancer in men while breast cancer in women has become major cause of death.
Dr Shaikh said cancer can also appear in the form of tumors but not all tumors are cancer. Cancer has bad effects on the human body, psychology as well as economy. Some cancers are also hereditary and families should be very careful.
In order to prevent cancer, it is very important to prevent or change the factors that cause cancer. For example, avoiding smoking, maintaining a reasonable weight, consuming plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, exercising regularly, avoiding alcohol consumption, vaccination against certain viruses, and being careful in getting X-rays lead to a reduction in cancer, he added.
Other speakers Dr Muhammad Shahbaz and Dr Asad Abbas Shah said that the fact is that both smoked cigarettes and smokeless tobacco can cause cancer. For the next four hours after smoking a cigarette, chemical compounds are released from the mouth which can affect not only the smoker but also the people sitting near him and cause cancer, they said, adding: “Maintaining a balanced weight is necessary because when the weight exceeds a certain limit, many hormones in the body lose their effect. A healthy diet is very beneficial for human health and to prevent cancer.”
Dr Rana Rafiqe added that everyone should exercise daily according to their age and size. Because blood flow improves during exercise and the blood reaches every part of the body, keeps the body fresh and also prevents cancer. All kinds of fumes coming out of homes, and factories should be avoided because it contains chemicals that cause cancer, he said.
Dr Munir Ghauri said that cancer treatment is difficult as well as expensive. Various methods are used to treat cancer.
These include surgical removal of the cancerous tumour, chemotherapy, which is the treatment of cancer with drugs, and radiotherapy, which is the treatment of cancer with radiation.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023