Our body is made up of millions of cells. Cells are the building blocks of our body. They continue to divide and do different jobs. When this division of cells go wrong and signals of stopping cell division do not work, abnormal cells called cancer cells form. These cancer cells divide without stopping and invade the areas of the normal cells. When they grow in size, these cells go into the blood vessels also. Through blood they go to other parts of the body such as lung, bone, liver, brain and etc. There they form same cancers which are called secondaries.
According to the national cancer registry Sri Lanka nearly 17000 cancers are newly diagnosed each year. Breast cancer is the commonest. Next commonest is the cancer of the mouth. Third commonest is the cancer of the uterine cervix of female reproductive system.
Though most cancers appear in adults, sometimes, even among youths cancers are found. However, most of the proven risk factors for cancers are established in adolescence. Therefore it is important to have healthy lifestyles from now onwards.
For more information please see : National Cancer Control programme
There are known early detection/screening programmes are available for three commonest cancers. If these cancers are detected early, intervened early, they are completely curable.
Incorrect lifestyles increase the risk of getting cancer.
These incorrect lifestyles are:
- Poor diet-diet high in animal fat and low in fruit and vegetable.
- Physically inactive.
- Obese.
- Tobacco use.
- Alcohol consumption.
- Betel chewing- tobacco, Areca nut and lime in betel increase the risk of cancers in mouth.
However even in absence of these risk factors, if you have blood relatives affected by cancer, you are at higher risk for getting cancers.
Good news. There are ways to reduce your risk of getting cancer,
- Eat a healthy diet.
- Eat lot of vegetables and fruit (five servings a day).
- Reduce intake of red meat.
- Limit/avoid eating processed meats such as sausages, bacon, ham and etc.
- Be physically active.
- Do moderate physical activity one hour per day.
- Maintain ideal body weight for height.
- Do not smoke / quit tobacco use.
- Do not chew betel- avoid tobacco, areca nut and lime.
- Avoid alcohol.
- Be aware of the symptoms of the cancer. Practice early detection.
Any one can get breast cancer. Most get later in adulthood. But breast cancers are seen at early as 20 years also.
Therefore if you are 20 years or above examine your breasts your selves once a month.
Find how to breast self examination at National Cancer Control Programme When you are between 20-40 years, get your breasts examined by a doctor, nursing officer or public health mid wife once in every three years.
Find where to go at National Cancer Control Programme If you have a blood relative with a breast cancer be more careful, you are at higher risk of getting it Most of the time, If detected early and treated breast cancer is fully curable.
- This cancer is mainly related Human Papilloma Virus. This virus is transmitted sexually. That does not mean everybody who get this infection do get this cancer. Only few will get. However there is a vaccine called HPV vaccine to protect you from this to certain degree. You have to get three doses of this vaccine if you are not exposed to sex still. Yet this vaccine is available only at private sector.
- For more details see
Immunization Hand Book
National Cancer Control Programme - Delay sexual activity till marriage ( to be with one trusted partner)
HPV infection by some types of HPV virus cause precancerous changes in uterine cervix. By Pap smear test these changes are identified. Early intervention prevent getting cervical cancer.
This test is offered 35 years at the well woman clinics.
For more details see : National Cancer Control Programme