What Can You Do To Reduce The Risk of Cancer For Your Beloved Seniors?

You can help in creating a cancer-resistant environment for your seniors, no matter where you live.

Key Age-Related Cancer Facts

• Cancer is the second most leading cause of death worldwide.
• An estimated 9.6 million deaths are caused every year due to cancer.
• Approximately 1 in 6 deaths occur due to cancer globally.
• About 70% of deaths from cancer occur in low income and middle income countries.

World Cancer Day is a gentle reminder of people you know who have been diagnosed with cancer or undergoing treatment for it. For some, it also brings back the remembrance of the treatment journey of patients who had undergone the treatment for cancer. For some, it could be a senior member of your family or you yourself who have had cancer. This can raise a question in your mind that if there is a way to avoid getting cancer as you grow older.

Age and Cancer Risk

Aging is one of the most important risk factors for cancer overall. Most cancer types are associated with aging. The advancement in the field of medicine and healthcare has resulted in increasing the life span of people around the world. While on the other hand, the longer a person lives, the more likely it is for them to get caught by the accumulation of cancer-causing lesions. One-fourth of all the new cancer cases in the US are diagnosed in people in the age range of 65 to 74 years.

According to a study by the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program, the median age of a cancer diagnosis in the United States is 66 years. It means that half of the cancer cases occur in people below this age and the other half in people above this age.

What Can You Do To Reduce The Risk of Cancer For Your Beloved Seniors?

These statistics raise a crucial question you can do anything to reduce the cancer burden from the increasing population of your beloved elderlies. The answer is yes, indeed you can. In fact, about 30–50% of cancers can be prevented by avoiding the risk factors and implementing existing evidence-based prevention strategies. Moreover, early detection of cancer and management of the patient diagnosed with cancer can also significantly raises their chances of its cure.

How Can You Help Reduce The Cancer Burden For Your Beloved Senior?

Below are some of the simple actions you can take to reduce the risk of cancer getting caught by your beloved seniors, even if the disease runs in your family:

• Undergoing regular health check-up for early diagnosis of cancer or any symptoms that can lead to cancer.
• Keeping skin UV-rays protected lowers your risk of getting skin cancer, the most common type of cancer.
• Cutting down on alcohol.
• Quitting smoking and tobacco use including cigarettes and smokeless tobacco: Tobacco use is the single most important risk factor for cancer, responsible for approximately 22% of cancer-related deaths globally.
• Maintaining a healthy weight: Neither overweight nor underweight.
• Staying physically active.
• Avoid exposure to any hazardous environment that can cause cancer.

A Case Study of Early Diagnosis of Breast Cancer

Mrs. Salma Hadeed*, 47, a national of Dubai, is a mother of two and a homemaker. About a year back, while she was taking a bath, Salma felt a slight lump in the lower part of her left breast. Salma discussed this with her daughter Sanam*. Sanam, without any further delay, started looking online for the best options for breast cancer detection check-ups for her mother when she came across Medigence and contacted them for the same. Following this, an appointment for Mrs. Hadeed was booked in one of the best hospitals in Dubai as chosen from the list of options shared with her daughter and herself. She underwent the check-up and evaluation test as suggested by the consulting doctor. The test revealed that Mrs. Hadeed had the first stage of breast cancer and the treatment of the same was started immediately. The early detection of Mrs. Hameed’s cancer (while it was in the curative stage) and her access to immediate and effective quality treatment soon made her cancer-free. Mrs. Hadeed’s awareness and her daughter’s quick action to respond to a potential symptom of breast cancer saved them a lot of pain, stress, hassle, time and money. Mrs. Hadeed also continued to go for the recommended regular follow-ups after her treatment got finished.

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^*Names of the patient and caregiver are changed.