THINK ON THESE: World Cancer Day

Every February 4, the international community observes World Cancer Day to raise awareness about cancer, encourage its prevention, and mobilize action to address the global cancer epidemic. Led by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), it aims to support the goals of the World Cancer Declaration.

The word “cancer” comes from the Latin word for crab, which was derived from the Greek word karkinos. The term was used by the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates to describe tumors that resembled a crab with its many legs.

Cancer starts as a single cell and grows into a merciless disease that claims millions of lives year after year. It is one of the leading killers around the world. It accounts for 6 million or 12 percent of deaths globally, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Fifty-eight percent of those who succumb to cancer come from developing countries. In the Philippines, for instance, cancer is the fifth leading cause of death. This is because more than half of all cancer cases in the country “are diagnosed at an advanced stage, when it is already too late to save the patient.”

For every 1,000 Filipinos, one gets cancer. And the incidence is higher among females than males, according to the Philippine Cancer Society Inc. (PCSI). Ninety-one percent occur between the ages of 35 and above. Three-fourths of all cancer cases in the country occur between the ages 50 and above.

Scientific research indicates that with each division of a human cell, it is necessary for the cell to replicate its DNA, which consists of approximately 3 billion characters. Given the extensive nature of this process, it is reasonable to anticipate that errors may occur, similar to how a proficient typist might make mistakes while transcribing a lengthy document.

Cells, akin to typists, are not immune to errors. Fortunately, these errors are typically minor and are promptly corrected by proteins that function as miniature repair mechanisms. However, in many instances, cells that harbor DNA defects persist in their division, ultimately leading to the formation of small growths.

“The more cell-division cycles an organism undergoes, the more likely it is to accumulate colonies of abnormal cells, each of the offspring of a single progenitor,” writes Time science writer J. Madeleine Nash. “By the time humans reach middle adulthood, then their bodies contain millions of cells that have taken at least one step toward cancer.”

The Merck manual, however, gives specific details on how cancer develops. “Cancerous cells develop from healthy cells in a complex process called transformation,” it explains. “The first step in the process is initiation, in which a change in the cell’s genetic material [in the DNA and sometimes in the chromosome structure] primes the cell to become cancerous. The change in the cell’s genetic material may occur spontaneously or be brought by an agent that causes cancer [carcinogen].”

Carcinogens include many chemicals (arsenic, asbestos, benzene, and nickel, to name a few), tobacco, viruses, radiation, and sunlight. A person exposed to a carcinogen (by breathing, eating, or touching it for long periods) does not necessarily mean he will certainly be afflicted with cancer, the PCSI said. “It only increases the possibility,” it added.

“However, not all cells are equally susceptible to carcinogens,” the Merck manual says. “A genetic flaw in a cell may make it more susceptible. Even chronic physical irritation may make a cell more susceptible to carcinogens.”

Promotion is the second and final step in the development of cancer. “Agents that cause promotion are called promoters,” the Merck manual says. “Promoters may be substances in the environment or even some drugs [such as barbiturates]. Unlike carcinogens, promoters do not cause cancer by themselves. Instead, promoters allow a cell that has undergone initiation to become cancerous.”

The most important factor that affects the chances for the cure of cancer is the stage at which it is detected. Two out of six cancer cases in the Philippines are cured, medical experts claimed. “But three out of six could have been cured, if only diagnosed earlier,” they maintained.

By cured, the oncologist meant that there has been no activity for five years. “But even after 20 years, nagigising iyan,” the doctor said. “So, I advise my patients to go for regular checkups, even with the family doctors. Early detection is still the key—breast or any other kind of cancer.”

Because cancer is more likely to be cured if treated early, it is critical that cancer be discovered early. “Some symptoms may give early warning of cancer and should, therefore, trigger a person to seek medical care,” the Merck manual says. “Fortunately, most of these symptoms are usually caused by far less serious conditions. Nonetheless, the development of any of the warning signs should not be ignored.”

Some of the warning signs are general; that is, there are vague changes that do not help pinpoint any particular cancer. Still, their presence can help direct doctors to perform the physical examinations and laboratory tests necessary to exclude or confirm a diagnosis. Other symptoms are much more specific and steer doctors to a particular kind of cancer or location.

Some warning signs of cancer are, according to the Merck manual, weight loss, fatigue, night sweats, loss of appetite, new and persistent pain, recurrent nausea or vomiting, blood in urine, blood in stool (either visible or detectable by special tests) and sudden depression.

Other common signs and symptoms of cancer are recurrent fever, chronic cough, a recent change in bowel habits (constipation or diarrhea), changes in the size or color of a mole or changes in a skin ulcer that does not heal and enlarged lymph nodes.

Medical scientists claim cancer is neither infectious or contagious. In fact, it is not hereditary, according to most oncologists. “The fact that cancer has occurred in a family is no cause for anxiety,” they stressed. “But people whose close relatives have cancer should have more regular checkups because of familiar tendency.”

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