Tuesday, February 04, 2014

Not pleasant news

World Health Organization scientists think that the world is facing a "tidal wave" of cancer. It predicts the number of cancer cases will grow from 14 million a year today to 24 million a year by 2035, but half could be prevented.
It listed the major sources of preventable cancer as:
  • Smoking
  • Infections
  • Alcohol
  • Obesity and inactivity
  • Radiation, both from the sun and medical scans
  • Air pollution and other environmental factors
  • Delayed parenthood, having fewer children and not breastfeeding
One of the scientists believes, "People can cut their risk of cancer by making healthy lifestyle choices, but it's important to remember that the government and society are also responsible for creating an environment that supports healthy lifestyles.
"It's clear that if we don't act now to curb the number of people getting cancer, we will be at the heart of a global crisis in cancer care within the next two decades."

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