One out of every two Spanish children born today will present some type of cancer in the future. Even so, the survival rate has tripled thanks to advances in prevention, diagnosis and improved treatments.
Cancer” is the name given to the group of diseases caused by a failure in cell regulation mechanisms that cause cells to divide uncontrollably, invading other tissues, the blood system and the lymphatic system. If this process starts in the bone marrow, hematological cancers such as leukemias, myelomas or lymphomas are produced. If they originate in other organs, they give rise to so-called ‘solid tumors’ such as lung, breast or colon cancer, among others. In order to provide more information and dispel myths, the World Health Organization, the International Agency for Research on Cancer and the International Union Against Cancer established February 4 as World Cancer Day.
There are currently more than 100 different types of cancer, classified according to the tissue or organ from which they originate. It is expected that in 2015, 227,076 new cases will be diagnosed according to data from the Spanish Society of Medical Oncology (SEOM). As highlighted by the prestigious Dr. Viteri, oncologist at the Dr. Rosell Oncology Institute and member of Top Doctors, lifestyle and certain habits such as tobacco consumption or poor diet are relevant risk factors.
In 2014, the WHO published a code of recommendations for cancer prevention. Some of them are, for example, keeping our environment free of smoke, limiting alcohol consumption, controlling our weight with a healthy diet and avoiding a sedentary lifestyle. In addition, avoiding long exposure to the sun prevents skin cancer. Other suggestions include regular gynecological check-ups, mammograms or colonoscopies and vaccination against Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) in girls and adults.