Cases of Cancer Explode Worldwide

Cases of Cancer Explode Worldwide

The World Health Organization (WHO) has just released new data that cancer is a top cause of death worldwide, causing one in six deaths in 2020. The most prevalent forms of cancer are breast, lung, colon, and prostate cancers.

Lifestyle factors account for a high rate of these cancers. Smoking, obesity, alcohol, not exercising, and not eating enough fruits and vegetables are a contributing factor to one-third of cancer deaths, according to the WHO.

Why Is Cancer so Prevalent?

Cancer occurs when normal cells forget how to be healthy and transform into malignant ones. This is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Here is a description of each of the top cancers and the factors that contribute to their spread.

Lung Cancer

Lung cancer causes the most deaths, 1.8 million worldwide in 2020, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The risk of developing lung cancer can be drastically reduced by avoiding tobacco. Air pollution is another contributing factor to lung cancer. Early detection and diagnosis can greatly contribute to a patient’s chance of a positive outcome.

Breast Cancer

Each year, over a quarter of a million women in the United States are diagnosed with breast cancer. And these are new cases, not including those who had previously been in remission from the disease. American women have a high chance of surviving breast cancer—over 99%, but that still leaves over 43,000 breast cancer fatalities in the United States annually.

Risks for breast cancer are caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Having the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene increases risk for breast cancer, as well as being overweight, especially after menopause.

Colon Cancer

Colon cancer is a terrible disease that was responsible for nearly a million deaths worldwide in 2020, according to the WHO.

Colon cancers can be hard to detect as early cases often have no symptoms. Colon cancer screenings are often recommended after the age of 50 in order to increase detection of the disease. As with any cancer, early detection is the key to long-term survival.

Prostate Cancers

The WHO counted 1.4 million cases of prostate cancer worldwide in 2020. The American Lung Association estimates that one in eight men will develop prostate cancer. It is a leading cancer, second only to lung cancer as the leading cause of cancer deaths in men.

Older men and non-Hispanic Black men are especially at risk for colon cancer, but every man should undergo prostate cancer screenings, in line with their doctor’s recommendations.

Other Cancer Causes.

Did you know that cancer can also be caused by exposure to common chemicals found in over-the-counter medicines? An example of this are drugs that contain nitroso dimethylamine (NDMA), which has been linked to various types of cancer, including stomach, liver, esophageal, and colon cancers.

If you’ve ever taken Zantac or another ranitidine drug, you may have been exposed to NDMA. To learn more about Zantac lawsuits, you can contact a firm like Perenich Law Injury Attorneys.