Cancer is a type of disease that is also referred to as malignant tumour. It’s a class of diseases that involves the uncontrolled cell growth and multiplication in the body. These cells develop in the body to form lumps made of tissues and are called tumours. However, not all tumours are cancerous. These tumours are problematic as they disrupt normal body functions such as the circulatory system, respiration, digestion, and the hormonal balance in the body. Malignant tumours are also dangerous because the cancerous cells can enter the blood stream or the lymphatic system and spread to other parts of the body, therefore infecting other healthy cells and tissues and this is called invasion (Oliveira, 2011). The tumours also develop blood tissues as they grow and these vessels feed them making the cells self-sufficient and even more dangerous. Cancer is a result of various causes and among them includes heredity, viruses, pollution, radioactivity, and lastly tobacco (Pories and Moses, 2009).
Cancer is a very dangerous disease that claims lots of lives globally as its cure has not yet been determined , however, there are several treatment procedures that are there that help manage the condition. In addition, cancer can be prevented my certain measures such as screening which helps in early detection, proper diet, avoiding smoking and drinking, and having regular exercises. This research paper is important, as it will try to explore the various ways and strategies that can be used to prevent the spread of cancer. To help in this research is a survey that was done in 1989 in countries from Europe. The survey was through interviewing teachers to examine their views and opinions regarding cancer education as well as general health. Two thousand seven hundred and fifty teachers took part in the survey. They were mostly high school and primary school teachers from twelve countries in Europe (Rabier, 2002). There were several variables that related to the cause of cancer; however, these same variables are still the ones important for cancer prevention. The first variable is tobacco.
Tobacco is among the leading cause of cancer and accounts for a large percentage of death. According to the survey in Europe, over ninety percent of the respondents agreed with the fact that tobacco is influential in the development of cancer. However, this knowledge can be used in the prevention of cancer by reducing or avoiding smoking to reduce risk of cancer. The second variable is heredity whereby cancer can be inherited from parents to their children through the transfer of defective genes. According to the survey, only thirty percent of the respondents agreed with this as a major cause of cancer. However, this can be used to prevent cancer by screening in order to detect any signs or symptoms. Another thing could be the changing of the defective genes to prevent the risk of cancer (Rennert, 2007). The third variable is pollution, whereby high amounts of pollution increases risks of cancer since most pollutions contain dangerous, carcinogenic chemicals and heavy metals. The respondents in the survey provided sixty percent positive response in relation to the high risk of cancer that is associated with pollution. This can be prevented by proper waste management that involves waste treatment before disposal as well as disposal, far away from the population (Rennert, 2007).
The fourth variable was radioactivity, whereby exposure to radioactivity affects the cells genetically, hence triggering uncontrolled cell division that results to cancer and according to the survey this is a very instrumental variable as there were seventy percent positive reviews. Risk of cancer due to exposure to radioactivity can be prevented by avoiding those areas that are contaminated and use of special gear whenever one is handling radioactive materials. The fifth variable is viruses. Certain viruses interfere with genetic materials of the cell leading to development of cancer. Such viruses include human papilloma virus, hepatitis B and C and they account for a very big percentage of factors that cause cancer.
These variables are among the major factors that lead to cancer. However, they are the same factors that can be used to prevent and reduce the risk of cancer. The survey in Europe provided good and relevant information in the form of views and opinions regarding the spread of cancer (Rabier, 2002).
References
Oliveira, D. E. (2011). Editorial foreword for the special issue “Infection and human cancer†“Infection and human cancer: Disclosing the biology of cancer and beyondâ€. Cancer Letters, 305(2), 101-103.
Pories, S., & Moses, M. A. (2009). Cancer. Santa Barbara, Calif.: Greenwood Press.
Rabier, J. (n.d.). (2002). European Survey About Teachers and Cancer Prevention. Study Search Results. Retrieved July 6, 2014, from http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/icpsrweb/ICPSR/studies?sortBy=7&q=eurobarometer
Rennert, G. (2007). Cancer prevention: from public health interventions to individual tailoring. European Journal of Cancer Prevention, 16(3), 165-166.
