National Cancer Prevention Awareness Month
February is National Cancer Prevention Awareness Month- when many come together to spread awareness and information on ways to care for your health and prevent cancer. Consult Dr. Aditya Shah, leading Consultant Gastroenterologist and Hepatologist in Chennai, regarding the potential side effects of cancer treatment.
What Do We Mean by Cancer Prevention?
When discussing prevention, we are not referring to the general definition. Many dictionaries define prevention as: “the act of stopping something from happening or of stopping someone from doing something.”
The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) states that research shows that more than 40% of diagnosed cancers are attributed to preventable causes. However, one must remember that there are often many cancer-causing factors (such as genetics, environment, or inadequate access to medical care). Thus, we cannot stop/prevent all cancers from occurring. However, staying mindful of your health can certainly lower your cancer risk.
What Do We Mean by Cancer Prevention?
When discussing prevention, we are not referring to the general definition. Many dictionaries define prevention as: “the act of stopping something from happening or of stopping someone from doing something.” However, each individual varies depending on their risk of developing certain cancers. We can’t eliminate all risks- or stop all cancers from occurring.
However, in medical terms, preventive intervention is defined as: “Therapeutic, nutritional, environmental, social and behavioral interventions at the societal, community, organizational or individual levels to reduce, modify or stop the course of a disease” (NCI thesaurus). From a medical perspective, prevention intervention is not only concerned with stopping the disease. It also focuses on how interventions can help reduce the risks and outcomes of diseases.
So, when talking about cancer prevention and ways to reduce risks, we are not guaranteeing that such actions will 100% stop all cancers from developing in every individual. Instead, we are talking about steps to help lower your chances of cancer developing later in the future (and lead to an overall healthier lifestyle as well).
Consult Dr. Aditya Shah, leading Consultant Gastroenterologist and Hepatologist in Chennai, regarding the potential side effects of cancer treatment
