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February 4: World Cancer Day

February 4, 2007 By Doctor Leave a Comment

 

The International Union against Cancer (UICC) and its member’s organizations in over 80 countries are dedicating World Cancer Day 2007 to detect and prevent cancer in the adults by targeting children. More than 90 million people may die due to cancer in the next 10 years if necessary preventive measures are not taken. World cancer day is an annual event is being observed on February 4th every year.

 
 
Theme for World cancer day 2007 is “Today’s Children, Tomorrow’s World”. It aims to spread awareness about problems due to changing dietary habits and a path breaking vaccine for cervical cancer.
 

 
 
The annual World Cancer Day (WCD) on 4 February 2007 marks the anniversary of the first World Summit against Cancer held in Paris on 4 February 2000 where the Millennium Charter of Paris 2000 was launched.
 
 
 
Cancer Statistics:
 
 
Globally more than 10 million people are diagnosed with cancer every year and it is estimated that there will be 15 million new cases every year by 2020. Cancer causes more than 6 million deaths every year worldwide. Lung cancer and Breast cancer account for 1.3 and 0.5 million deaths respectively.
 
 
Cancer is the second highest cause of death in children between the ages of 1-14 years. As per official statistics, more than 1, 60,000 children are newly diagnosed with cancer each year. Fortunately, childhood cancers are twice curable than adult cancers.
 
 
25-40 age group accounts for 25% of all cancer patients. Solid organ tumors, which occur in this age group are usually genetic in nature and depending on the grade and behavior of the tumor it is observed that prognosis is poor. Stage-1 cancer in a 50-year old is 90% curable, but a similar cancer in a 30-year old is around 70% curable.
 
 

Worldwide, cervical cancer is a leading cause of cancer deaths for women. According to the FDA there are 470,000 new cases and 233,000 deaths each year. Every 1 in 12 women worldwide are suffering from breast cancer. New age women are reluctant to breast feed their babies is the major factor behind this increase in breast cancer cases.

 

 
Cancer Prevention:

 

More than 40%of cancer cases are preventable. Smoking and Obesity are the two main preventable causes. Environmental pollution and some viral infections like human papilloma virus are the other preventable causes. Changing diet habits towards fast foods and high calorie diet is gradually raising cancer cases in the high socio-economic groups.

 

Tobacco use is the most common cause of preventable cancer deaths. Tobacco use alone accounts for some 1.5 million cancer deaths per year.
 
 
More than 70% of cancer deaths occur in low income group people as they do not have necessary financial resources to undergo screening tests and use costly drugs.
 
 
Vegetarian diet and fruits play a major role in preventing cancer. Stay away from fast foods, smoking and prevent the cancer.
 
 
Cervical Cancer Vaccine:
 
 
Gardasil, the first vaccine developed to prevent cervical cancer, precancerous genital lesions and genital warts due to human papillomavirus (HPV) strains 6, 11, 16 and 18 which account for 70% of all cervical cancers. The vaccine is approved for use in females 9-26 years of age.
 
 
Cervarix is an investigational vaccine that protects against 2 strains of HPV (16 and 18) that cause cervical cancer. This vaccine from GlaxoSmithKline is waiting for approval.
 
 
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