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Cancer: Appropriate Screening and Prevention
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Cervical Cancer
Cancer is now third (3rd) leading cause of death in the world today. Currently it is estimated to have more than 12 million new cases. And in 2030,experts projected an 11.5 million number of deaths from all types of cancer. Population growth and aging are the two (2) largest contributors to this increasing total number of cancer cases. Cancer development involves two (2) factors: (1) inherited genetic susceptibility and (2) exposure to carcinogens in the environment. Most cancers that arise among individuals are a result of the interaction of both genetic and environmental factors. Once the risk factors are identified, it should follow proper application of effective screening and preventive strategies. Cancer is a pathologic process with the consequences for metastasis over a certain period of time. As a result, the primary goal of screening and prevention would be to "delay" or "interrupt" these pathogenic invasions to the normal cell tissues. The goal of screening is early detection of invasive tumors before it starts to metastasize. On the other hand, prevention strategies are aimed in avoiding risk factors or reversal of the pathogenic process before tumor cell invade normal cells.
Cancer screening tests. Mammography and breast self examination are beneficial to women starting at the age of 40 years old. Pap smear should be done starting at age 18 years old or at the start of sexual activity. Pap testing is done for the evidence of preinvasive uterine cervical abnormalities. Annual fecal occult blood testing has been proven to be effective indicating colorectal cancer mortality by 18% to 30%. Sigmoidoscopy has been associated with decreased colorectal cancer death. Colonoscopy is also done for colorectal cancer screening. Colorectal endoscopy is to detect adenomatous polyps. Chest radiography, sputum cytology and spiral CT are tests for detecting lung cancer. The liver is tested by alpha-fetoprotein and ultrasonography. Screening for prostate cancer is done with digital rectal examination and transrectal ultrasonography.
Cancer prevention. Worldwide advertisement of manufactured cigarettes has made lung cancer the most common cancer. Tobacco use is estimated approximately 25% to 30% of all cancers and approximately 170,000 cancer deaths per year in the United States. It is the primary avoidable cause of cancer death in this country and in our world today. Cancers caused by tobacco use includes the following organs such as the lung, head and neck, esophagus, pancreas,bladder,kidney,stomach and also the colon. Proper interventions should be done to increase tobacco taxes, prohibit tobacco advertising, creating a smoke-free public places, provide cessation services to aid smokers to quit and to have a increased campaign on anti-tobacco use which can further change our lifestyle. Proper diet of energy foods along with daily exercises is highly recommended to prevent obesity. People whose diets include beta carotene foods have a lower risk of lung cancer. Liver cancer is the most common vaccine preventable cancer. Immunization with Hepatitis B vaccine has been shown to be the most effective strategy to reduce liver cancer. Now the effective vaccines against HPV infection in cervical cancer among women are found to be expensive on their availability in high risk areas. In the meantime, promotion of condom use and visual screening using acetic acid or DNA testing for HPV provide to be an important and useful alternatives. Finally, the eradication of Helicobacter pylori in asymptomatic carriers has been considered a possible method to pevent stomach cancer. This is useful in preventing the development of atrophic gastritis among high risk individuals.
For more info.: http://www.cancer.gov/cancer_information/pdq/. National Cancer Institute's Physician Data Query.
www.nypcancerprevention.org. New York Presbyterian Hospital website.
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