This week saw a global cancer awareness drive which aimed to educate people about the causes of cancer linked to lifestyle, one of the most prevalent being alcohol abuse, others included sugar consumption and obesity.
The World Health Organisation has predicted that the number of new cases of cancer would rise 70 per cent to nearly 25 million a year over the next 2 decades unless people make some lifestyle changes.
According to the UN’s public health arm, half of these cases of cancer are preventable because they are directly attributed to bad lifestyle choices. In its World Cancer Report, the UN detailed the need to prevent further cases of cancer rather than trying to cure it which is “implausible”.
According to the UN even the richest countries will battle financially to cope with the costs of treatment and care for cancer patients when the number rises this high and low income countries are already not equipped to handle the burden – sadly these poorer countries are expected to be the worst hit.
And according to the evidence, cancer is rising every year. Globally the instances of cancer have increased from 12.7 million cases in 2008 to 14.1 million in 2012. In 2012 there were 8.2 million deaths and by 2032 it is expected to increase by 70 per cent and hit 25 million a year.
According to the UN the cancers most prevalent in the poorer countries are related to infections such as cervical cancers and a lack of proper screening. But in the wealthier countries we are seeing more lifestyle triggered cancers such as those linked to smoking, excessive alcohol consumption and highly processed food consumption, as well as the lack of physical activity – this is the bracket that Australians fall into.
Dr Christopher Wild, director of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and joint author of the World Cancer Report, said most people were only concerned about whether a cure had been found for cancer rather than thinking about how to prevent the disease.
An article on TheGuardian.com quotes Dr Wild as saying:
“Despite exciting advances, the report shows that we cannot treat our way out of the cancer problem. More commitment to prevention and early detection is desperately needed in order to complement improved treatments and address the alarming rise in the cancer burden globally.”
Source: http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/feb/03/alcohol-sugar-smoking-fuel-cancer-surge
Limiting the amount of alcohol we drink and cigarettes we smoke should be the first step in preventing cancer. Although alcohol in moderate quantities can be good for your heart, brain and bones as research has proven, there still needs to be some self-control – nothing should be consumed in excess, particularly alcohol. And cancer isn’t the only incurable disease that has been linked to alcohol. In addition to the long term effects of excessive drinking, binge drinking and alcohol abuse can have immediate and life-long effects on the drinker, those around him/her as well as the community.