The War on Cancer: We are loosing ground each year.
We are loosing the war on cancer. Its big problem in the USA. We have the highest rate of cancer in the world. We spent over $80.5 Billion in 2015 on cancer in the US according to the American Cancer Society, making it one of the largest impacts on health care. Cancer rates are rising all over the word. Our World Data has compiled information on the rates of cancer around the world. The world map below will show you the rates of cancer around the globe from 1990 to 2017.
There is very little change in our part of the world: we got from 5% to 6% in 27 years. Right now in the USA we can expect about 1 in 3 people to have a person battle with cancer. Not a great record.
Can Cancer Be Prevented?
The answer is yes! While we have had some gains in treatment over the decades that seem to work very well, there is still no 100% effected method. Before we cracked the Human Genome and mapped all of our DNA, we used to think that most of health problems were genetic. In reality, it was quite the opposite: Only 5-10% of cancers are due to our genetics!
The good news is, like all illnesses, prevention is the key. What we learned from the Human Genome Project was that our DNA might be the bullet in illness, but its our diet and lifestyle that pulls the trigger.
The largest number of cancer cases associated with poor diet was for colorectal cancer (52,225). That was followed by cancer of the mouth, pharynx, and larynx (14,421), uterine cancer (3,165), breast cancer (post-menopausal) (3,059), kidney cancer (2,017), stomach cancer (1,564), and liver cancer (1,000).
Diet might be the key
A 2019 study from Tufts University looked at the effects of a poor diet on cancer. They found that over 80,000 new cases of cancer were associated with poor dietary choices, or about 5.2% of cancers in 2015. The biggest culprits were processed meats and high saturate red meats, low anti-oxidant content in foods, and high-carbohydrate intake.
Other dietary considerations that lead to higher risks were alcohol leading to up to 6% of cancers and excessive weight adding in another 7-8%.
Healthy lifestyle and activity add up too!
We already know that smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer in the world, and it is the most preventable disease. It is 100% a lifestyle choice. But what are the other habits
Inactivity is high on the charts. A sedentary lifestyle is the leading cause of most chronic health problems. Poor levels of physical inactivity have been linked to an increased risk of cancer of the breast, colon, prostate, and pancreas and of melanoma. Exercise helps reduce inflammatory chemicals in the body – Not exercises increases them .
What can you do?
We always want to see our patients focus on long-term health. The war on cancer is something all of us should think about. Getting patients and clients on a healthy diet and honing in on positive lifestyle changes leads to a reduction in many different illness. Often once a pathological process has taken hold there is a need for much more intervention to correct the body and bring it back to healthy state. What that means is, don’t wait until you’re sick to get started! Prevention will go a long way the younger you are when you start, and you are never too old to start! Give us a call and see what things you can change to help you life a better, healthier life.
