February is Healthy Lifestyle Awareness month, a time to re-look, plan and focus on strategies to take better care of ourselves.
World Cancer Awareness Day (February 4) reminds us of the perils of neglecting our health and the importance of healthy living.
According to the World Health Organization more than eight million people died worldwide from cancer in 2012.
Another alarming statistic showed that 60% of the new annual cases occurred in Africa, Asia, and Central and South America and approximately a third of cancer deaths were as a result of the big five of behavioural and dietary risks: being overweight, not eating enough fruit and vegetables, not doing enough exercise and use of tobacco and alcohol.
“What is even more disturbing is that 30% of all cancers can be prevented,” said Peter Jordan, Principal Officer of Fedhealth.
“Early diagnoses and treatment is vital to fight this disease and regular check-ups and preventative screening tests really can save lives.”
Jordan believes that understanding some of the medical terminology can help to reduce a lot of anxiety around check-ups and testing.
His medical team explained it this way: A malignant tumour means you have cancer.
Malignant tumours can grow back if they are removed, they can invade nearby tissue and organs, they can spread to other parts of the body (metastasise).
A benign tumour is an indication that there is no cancer present.
Cancer types fall into five broad categories:
. Carcinoma – begins in the skin or in tissues that line or cover internal organs.
. Sarcoma – starts in bone, cartilage, fat, muscle, blood vessels or other connective or supportive tissue.
. Leukaemia – starts in blood-forming tissue such as the bone marrow and causes large numbers of abnormal blood cells to be produced and enter the blood.
. Lymphoma and myeloma – cancers that begin in the cells of the immune system.
. Central nervous system cancers – cancers that begin in the lymph tissue of the brain and/or spinal cord.
