Poor lifestyle choices like consumption of alcohol, 'Pan
Masala' and tobacco has led to a hike of 7.5% in the number of cancer patients
in India, according to a recent study.
The Globocan project study conducted by International Agency
for Research on Cancer of the World Health Organisation (WHO) reveals that the
above-mentioned lifestyle problems have contributed to cancer of lips, mouth,
stomach, colon and rectum among men and to breast, ovarian and cervix uteri
cancers among women. The latest findings of the study show that India witnessed
10 lacs new cancer cases and six lacs deaths last year, a 7.5 percent rise over
the corresponding figures in 2008.
"With more than 10 lakh new cases and over six lakh
deaths reported in a year, India bears a heavy burden of cancer. Considering
the current trends, the incidence and mortality are expected to reach more than
12 lakh and more than eight lakh by 2020, respectively," said the study.
The study also reported that late detection of the disease is also the cause of
70 percent of cancer deaths in India.
Boman Dhabar, who is a medical oncologist at the Wockhardt
Hospital, alluded on the study, "There is need to restore the simple
lifestyle people used to lead earlier. Avoiding alcohol, smoke, fatty diet and
proper screening for cancer is very much required.”
In USA, 50% of the deaths are accounted for by people above
70 years of age, while 71% of the deaths in India claim people in the
productive years of 30 to 69 years. 15% of patients are children, compared to
the global average of 0.5%.
The study clearly reveals that people to a large extent have
the power to avoid the disease at their own hand, and it’s just a matter of
choice as to where one wants to head to.
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