Cancer on the increase !

[Doc Alan]

Macmillan Cancer Support are now estimating 2 out of 5 people in the UK will get cancer at some point in their lives. It causes over a quarter of deaths and is second only to heart and circulatory disease ( one third of deaths ). The outlook for most cancers is improving, although the UK does not do as well as other similar countries. Screening, earlier diagnosis, and better treatment ( more " targetted " to individuals ) all help to improve chances of cure, or at least long term survival.
The reasons for the increase are mainly the ageing population, continued smoking and dietary factors with obesity. Lung, breast, and large bowel cancers are the main culprits.
There are geographical variations in cancer, more due to the environment than genetic factors. In the Philippines, as in UK, cancer follows heart and circulatory diseases in mortality. There's no requirement for causes of death to be medically determined before death registration, so national statistics are not so accurate. Cancer survival rates are worse than the UK because screening and early diagnosis are not so well developed. All too often, filipinos seek medical help too late and can't afford treatment. In the UK 10 % of GDP ( Gross Domestic Product ) is spent on health, whereas in the Philippines it's less than 1 %. The types of cancer are a little different in the Philippines - after lung, breast, and bowel cancer come liver ( because of hepatitis viruses and alcohol ), and others, like cervical cancer, are commoner.
Because cancer is of so many different types, it's unlikely there will be " a cure ". But here's the good news - There are vaccines against Human Papilloma Virus ( HPV ) for cervical cancer, and Hepatitis B virus for liver cancer. Screening and early detection is improving for several cancers like cervix, breast and bowel. New cancer drugs are constantly appearing which attack specific cancer mutations rather than also killing " good " cells. They're outrageously expensive but at least the UK government has set aside a fund to pay for them.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-14140424

[imagine]

shocking statistics, but good news on the new drugs,

[Terpe]

shocking statistics, but good news on the new drugs,

Agree with that.
With the ageing population, bleak long term economic outlook and the high cost of drugs, you have to wonder where the money will come from.
Or even if the NHS will continue to be completely free for everyone.

[Steve.r]

I heard an interesting fact yesterday that stated that sharks are the only know animals that do not get cancer. Wouldn't it be great if they showed us a way to a solution to mankind's cancer problems.

[Terpe]

.... Wouldn't it be great if they showed us a way to a solution to mankind's cancer problems.

Scientists discover gene that 'cancer-proofs' rodent's cells

[Arthur Little]

Alan ... undoubtedly, environmental factors - e.g., prolonged exposure to toxic substances like asbestos, coal dust [in earlier times] exhaust fumes, &c., among others too numerous to mention here ... and yes ... peoples' lifestyles ... I include the use of snuff/tobacco - increase the risks of developing cancer. It is also widely understood that such considerations as stress, obesity and poor dietary habits each play a substantial role in triggering the disease.

However, it has long been my belief that genetic influnces have an equal - if not greater - likelihood of predisposing one's immune system towards certain malignancies.

What are your views on this?

[Doc Alan]

However, it has long been my belief that genetic influnces have an equal - if not greater - likelihood of predisposing one's immune system towards certain malignancies.

What are your views on this?

Cancer - a purposeless proliferation of cells - is not a single disease, and most cancers have multiple factors involving the environment and genetic variability.
Overall, cancer affects older individuals. There are striking geographical variations - liver, stomach, and cervical cancers being commoner in Philippines ; melanoma, and large bowel cancer being commoner in UK ( for example ). The frequency of cancer types in migrants eventually moves toward the " recipient " country. It is thought ( not just my opinion ) that environmental factors ( especially diet and smoking ) account for 80 % of human cancers. Viruses, chemicals, and radiation may also be implicated.
However, there are undoubted genetic factors. In some families there are more cancers than " normal ", such as breast, large bowel, and ovary. Less than 15 % of smokers who consume 20 cigarettes daily will get lung cancer.
What is starting to happen in the field of cancer is " targeted " treatment, aimed at specific cancer - causing mutations. " Herceptin " for breast cancer, and " Gleevec " for leukaemia, have been spectacularly successful. Others are in the pipeline for melanoma and lung cancer. Drug companies are investing in more " personalised " medicine - biotech drugs that treat small groups of patients better.
A major problem is ... cost . It's cheaper to screen for cancers, diagnose them earlier, and treat in the " traditional " way of targeting where in the body the cancer has started. Better still, don't smoke, improve diet, cut down on obesity, and moderate alcohol consumption . I'm only too well aware of the cost of reducing the cancer risk, or treating it in the Philippines where access to drugs or even health insurance is a luxury to many.
Although accurate figures for the Philippines are simply not available, it seems likely at least 50,000 die each year from cancer ( 10 % of all deaths ). But we should keep optimistic, more people than ever are now living with cancer, thanks to advances in prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.