Doris Obinna
Each year on February 4, the world celebrates World Cancer Day. This empowers all across the globe to show support, raise collective voice, take personal action and press governments to do more.
The 2019 theme, ‘I am and I will campaign, ‘I am and I will,’ is an empowering call-to-action urging for personal commitment to help reduce the global burden of cancer. It is a day set aside when organisations and people around the world unite to raise awareness about cancer and work to make it a global health priority.
Just as cancer affects everyone in different ways, all people have the power to take various actions to reduce the impact that cancer has on individuals, families and communities.
World Cancer Day is a chance to reflect on what you can do, make a pledge and take action.
Cancer is not just one disease. There are many types of cancer. Cancer can start in the lungs, the breast, the colon, or even in the blood. Cancers are alike in some ways, but they are different in the ways they grow and spread.
According to experts, cancer has become the world’s most expensive and deadliest disease. Prevention, early medical intervention and treatment remain the best ways to handle the disease.
According to America Cancer Society, an estimated 9.5 million people worldwide were expected to die from cancer in 2018 – about 26,000 cancer deaths a day – and that number is predicted to grow.
Around the world, stakeholders, hold walks, seminars, public information campaigns and other events to raise awareness and educate people on how to fight cancer through screening and early detection, through healthy eating and physical activity, by quitting smoking, and by urging public officials to make cancer issues a priority.
How people can help themselves
Make healthy lifestyle choices that include the following: Avoid using tobacco products, getting plenty of physical activity, eating a healthy diet, limiting alcohol, and staying safe in the sun.
It is also important to know t signs and symptoms of cancer and early detection guidelines because finding cancer early often makes it easier to treat; Share stories about cancer experiences, communicate with decision-makers, and join support groups to help make positive change for all people affected by cancer.
When possible, use work and other daily activities during and after cancer treatment as opportunities to maintain normality, routine, stability, social contact, and income.
How people can help others
The support of cancer patients and survivors with the physical and emotional impacts of cancer even after treatment ends is essential. Call on government leaders to commit adequate resources to reduce cancer deaths and provide a better quality of life for patients and survivors.
Educate themselves and others about the link between certain lifestyle behaviors – including smoking, poor diet, and lack of physical activity – and cancer risk.
Dispel rumors and myths that lead to stigma and discrimination against people with cancer in some communities.
Encourage schools and workplaces to implement nutrition, physical activity, and no smoking policies that help people adopt healthy habits for life.
How are cancers alike
According to an Oncologist, Dr. Sunday Olalekan, the cells in our bodies have certain jobs to do. Normal cells divide in an orderly way.
He said: “They die when they are worn out or damaged, and new cells take their place. Cancer is when the cells start to grow out of control. The cancer cells keep on growing and making new cells. They crowd out normal cells. This causes problems in the part of the body where the cancer started.
“Cancer cells can also spread to other parts of the body. For instance, cancer cells in the lung can travel to the bones and grow there. When cancer cells spread, it’s called metastasis (meh-TAS-tuh-sis). When lung cancer spreads to the bones, it’s still called lung cancer. To doctors, the cancer cells in the bones look just like the ones from the lung. It’s not called bone cancer unless it started in the bones.”
She said cancers different as “some cancers grow and spread fast. Others grow more slowly. They also respond to treatment in different ways. Some types of cancer are best treated with surgery; others respond better to drugs called chemotherapy (key-mo-THER-uh-pee). Often 2 or more treatments are used to get the best results.
“When someone has cancer, the doctor will want to find out what kind of cancer it is. People with cancer need treatment that works for their type of cancer.”.
Tumors vs cancer
Olalekan said: “Most cancers form a lump called a tumor or a growth. But not all lumps are cancer. Doctors take out a piece of the lump and look at it to find out if it’s cancer. Lumps that are not cancer are called benign (be-NINE). Lumps that are cancer are called malignant (muh-LIG-nunt).
There are some cancers, like leukemia (cancer of the blood), that don’t form tumors. They grow in the blood cells or other cells of the body.
“There is a fear that goes through you when you’re told you have cancer. It’s so hard in the beginning to think about anything but your diagnosis. It’s the first thing you think about every morning. I want people with cancer to know it does get better. Talking about your cancer helps you deal with all of the new emotions you are feeling. Remember, it’s normal to get upset.”
Stage of the cancer
According to Olalekan, “the doctor also needs to know if and how far the cancer has spread from where it started. This is called the cancer stage. You may have heard other people say that their cancer was stage 1 or stage 2. Knowing the stage of the cancer helps the doctor decide what type of treatment is best.
“For each type of cancer, there are tests that can be done to figure out the stage of the cancer. As a rule, a lower stage (such as a stage 1 or 2) means that the cancer has not spread very much. A higher number (such as a stage 3 or 4) means it has spread more. Stage 4 is the highest stage.
“Ask your doctor to explain the stage of your cancer and what it means for you.”
How cancer is treated
The most common treatments for cancer are surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation (ray-dee-A- shun).
Surgery can be used to take out the cancer. The doctor might also take out some or all of the body part the cancer affects. For breast cancer, part (or all) of the breast might be removed.
“For prostate cancer, the prostate gland might be taken out. Surgery is not used for all types of cancer. For example, blood cancers like leukemia are best treated with drugs,’ Olalekan said.
Chemo (short for chemotherapy) is the use of drugs to kill cancer cells or slow their growth. Some chemo can be given by IV (into a vein through a needle), and others are a pill you swallow. Because chemo drugs travel to nearly all parts of the body, they are useful for cancer that has spread.
“Radiation is also used to kill or slow the growth of cancer cells. It can be used alone or with surgery or chemo. Radiation treatment is like getting an x-ray. Sometimes it’s given by putting a “seed” inside the cancer to give off the radiation,” Olalekan said.
According to experts, your cancer treatment will depend on what is best for you. Some cancers respond better to surgery; others respond better to chemo or radiation. Knowing the type of cancer you have, therefore, is the first step toward knowing which treatments will work best for you.
The stage of your cancer will also help the doctor decide on the best treatment for you. A stage 3 or 4 cancer is likely to respond better to treatments that treat the whole body, like chemo.
“Your health and the treatment you prefer will also play a part in deciding about cancer treatment. Not all types of treatment will work for your cancer, so ask what options you have. And treatments do have side effects, so ask about what to expect with each treatment. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. It’s your right to know what treatments are most likely to help and what their side effects may be,” advised an expert.