“AS THE WORLD AGES, CANCER CASES WILL RISE, hitting some countries like a tidal wave.” Cancer will skyrocket.
That’s the headline I recently spied on CNN, the American television broadcaster.
As someone who helps individuals with cancer, I immediately had several questions.
Why?
The short answer? The population is increasing, so we will see more cancer cases.
And?
And why don’t articles with such provocative titles remind us of some evidence-based risk-reduction strategies?
My goal today is to explain the projected rise. I will then turn to ways you can reduce your risk of developing cancer.
“I have always believed, and I still believe, that whatever good or bad fortune may come our way, we can always give it meaning and transform it into something of value.” ― Hermann Hesse, Siddhartha.
Let me talk about the new cancer projections.
Cancer Incidence is Rising
The report, recently published in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, found that in 2022 — the most recent year for which data was available — clinicians diagnosed about 20 million cancer cases.
There were 9.7 million cancer-related deaths.
Cancer diagnoses will rise by an estimated 35 million by 2050, a 77 percent increase from 2022.
And the leading cancer for both diagnoses and deaths in 2022 was lung cancer.
Why Will Cancer Incidence Rise?
Dr. William Dahut, the chief scientific officer of the American Cancer Society, expects the number of cancer cases worldwide to rise to 35 million by 2050.
This increase is primarily due to a growing and aging global population.
The global population was estimated to be around 8 billion in 2022 and may reach 9.7 billion by 2050.
Tobacco and Alcohol
I hope that people in developing countries don’t follow the lead of more developed countries.
We certainly don’t need to see more tobacco and excessive alcohol consumption.
Across the globe, less than 20 percent of individuals with lung cancer survive for at least five years. Many of these cases are preventable.
Tobacco remains the predominant lung cancer cause.
Reducing Your Odds of a Cancer Diagnosis
First, don’t use tobacco.
The senior author of the study, Dr. Ahmedin Jemal, offers this striking observation:
“With more than half of cancer deaths worldwide being potentially preventable, prevention offers the most cost-effective and sustainable strategy for cancer control.”
Elimination of tobacco use could prevent one in four cancer-related deaths.
That translates to 2.6 million souls every year.
More tips
Let’s quickly run some of my favorite ways to reduce cancer risk.
- Don’t use excessive alcohol. If you drink, cap it at seven (women) to 14 (men( standard drinks weekly. However, any amount can raise your cancer risk.
- Get physical activity. It doesn’t take too much movement to reduce cancer risk. And you may drop your blood sugar, too:
Give Me Two Minutes, And I’ll Lower Your Blood Sugar
IN SPAIN EARLIER THIS YEAR, I JOINED other Mediterranean people in getting up after a long, relaxed meal to take a…medium.com
- Maintain a healthy weight. Excessive weight is associated with a seven-fold increase in uterus cancer and a nearly five times higher risk of esophagus cancer. Stomach, kidney, and liver cancer risks rise by 1.8 times. Add in postmenopausal breast cancer; there are more, but you get the point.
- Protect yourself from the sun (and avoid tanning beds).
- Protect Yourself From Sexually Transmitted Infections. For instance, human papillomavirus infection is linked to many cervix, anal, vulvar, penis, and head and neck (base of the tongue, tonsils, back of the throat) cancers.
- Eat a balanced, healthy diet.
- Get appropriate cancer screening.
A Helpful Guide
I like this brief guide from the Mayo Clinic (USA) on how you can successfully tackle the risk-reduction tools described above:
Seven healthy habits that can reduce your risk of cancer
Real-life ways to reduce your risk of cancer.www.mayoclinic.org
Final Thoughts – Cancer Will Skyrocket
The global prevalence and diverse nature of cancer underscore the critical need for escalated, targeted measures to combat it worldwide.
By focusing on prevention strategies, such as tackling key risk factors like smoking, obesity, and infections, we can avert millions of future cancer cases, leading to significant reductions in mortality rates globally.
These efforts promise to save countless lives and hold the potential for substantial economic and societal gains for countries in the long term.
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