Understanding the Role of Lifestyle and Genetics in the Rising Incidence of Cancer |

For over the past two decades, people across geographies have annually observed World Cancer Day on February 4th, which aims to increase public awareness of the disease and highlight early identification and prevention. The three-year campaign, “Close the Care Gap,” launched in 2022, aims to have a major impact and lessen the worldwide cancer burden by highlighting the pressing need to promote healthcare equity across the world.
In 2020, cancer was responsible for around 10 million deaths worldwide, making it one of the major causes of mortality. India faces a worrying rise in cancer cases: over 1.4 million cases were reported in 2022, and the cancer burden of the country is expected to reach over 1.5 million by 2025.

What causes cancer?

Hereditary mutations are the cause of nearly 10% of all cancer cases; if a parent passes a mutant copy of the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene to their child, the child’s risk of acquiring cancer is increased.
A person’s lifestyle also majorly contributes to the probability of developing cancer: risk factors such as stress, obesity, inadequate or poor diets, smoking, and tobacco use could majorly influence the risk of developing the disease.

Early detection: A key to beating cancer

It is pertinent to note that around 30% to 50% of cancer cases can be avoided with early identification, minimizing risk factors, and receiving appropriate treatment. Apart from commonly known symptoms like unexplained bleeding and the appearance of lumps and moles, it is advised to keep an eye out for frequently overlooked indicators of cancer, such as exhaustion, protracted coughing fits, chest pain, unexplained weight loss, and changes in bowel habits.

Early cancer diagnosis greatly improves the likelihood of a good treatment response and increases the odds of survival through prompt symptom recognition. It is also imperative to recognize the significance of timely screening methods like HPV (human papillomavirus) and mammography to further guarantee early diagnosis of cervical and breast malignancies, respectively.
Cervical and liver cancers can be prevented in large part by vaccination. The hepatitis B vaccination greatly lowers the risk by protecting against the virus that might cause liver cancer. Comparably, the HPV vaccination prevents infections that can lead to cervical cancer by focusing on high-risk strains of the human papillomavirus.
(Author: Dr. Sandip Bartakke, Consultant Pediatric Hemato – Oncologist, Surya Mother and child super speciality Hospital, Pune)