Today, the world turns its sights to the painful scourge that is cancer. Now, more than ever, cancer proves to be a challenge to the collective resolve of mankind to overcome non-communicable diseases, as it has become more widespread. It is no longer just a concern for the developed world; the so-called poorer nations have seen a rise in the recorded cases of cancer in recent times, a trend that experts have put down to lifestyle changes in these regions.
The World Cancer Day was founded by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), to raise awareness and education about cancer, and to mobilize efforts in the direction of rolling back the dangerous growth in the disease’s incidence. This year (and in 2018), the World Cancer Day will have the theme ‘We can. I can.’ The tagline is a call for a more united and purposeful response to cancer from people across the world.
Here, we’ll take a look at some of the facts about cancer.
1. Cancer is an umbrella term for a number of diseases, all characterized by an out-of-control growth of cells. Depending on the type of cancer, they may (or may not) form solid tumors as they multiply.
2. At present, there are 14.1 million new cases of cancer recorded worldwide every year. About 8.2 million people die from cancer annually; of that number, 4 million die prematurely i.e. between the ages of 30 and 69 years.
3. In Nigeria, there are over 100,000 newly diagnosed cases of cancer every year. More than 2 million people are known to be living with cancer in the country, and over 70,000 die from it annually.
4. Breast and cervical cancer are the most common forms of cancer in Nigeria. The most prevalent form in women is breast cancer; in men, it is prostate cancer.
5. Some cancers can be cured by surgery, radiotherapy or chemotherapy. These procedures usually work when the cases being treated have been detected early.
6. Many cancers are preventable; avoiding such risk factors as tobacco smoke, obesity, excessive alcohol intake, processed meat and physical inactivity, is key to preventing cancer.