World Cancer Day - 4 February 2021 Alcohol and Tobacco Addiction Increases Cancer Risk in India Doctors appeal Urgent Changes in Urban Lifestyle

World Cancer Day is celebrated on February 4 every year through the Union for International Cancer Control. The purpose of World Cancer Day is to create awareness about cancer and promote its treatment. In a country like India, where the population is on the rise, the incidence of cancer is also on the rise. Breast cancer, oral cancer, cervical cancer, lung cancer, stomach cancer and colorectal cancer are the most common types of cancer. Giving more information about this, oncologist and surgeon of Terna Specialty Hospital and Research Center at Nerul, Dr. Anup Tamhankar said, "Every year 8.2 million people die of cancer worldwide.

However, a healthy lifestyle should be adopted to prevent the causes of cancer. A balanced diet and weight control should be maintained to keep physically fit. Obesity now affects 20 to 30 percent of adolescents worldwide. Overweight or obesity is associated with an increased risk of cancer of the intestine, breast, uterus, pancreas, esophagus, kidney and gallbladder in later life. India has been recognized as one of the best performing and stable economies in the world for the last two decades. Significant changes in our lifestyles have increased the risk of cancer and other non-communicable disease has increased over the decades. Alcohol and Smoke addiction increases the risk of cancer of the liver, mouth, throat, larynx and esophagus. Alcohol causes the body to produce harmful carcinogens called acetaldehyde, which can damage DNA and increase the risk of cancer. Also, genetic mutations increase the risk of alcohol-induced cancer in some individuals. "

A shocking report has come out that India alone accounts for about 15 percent of the world's tobacco-related deaths. Tobacco use has led to a steady rise in the number of deaths in India. At the same time, the number of patients with cancer is increasing day by day. Thousand types of chemicals enter the body due to tobacco consumption. It mainly contains chemicals like nicotine, hydrogen cyanide, ammonia, arsenic, naphthalene, cadmium, butane, carbon monoxide. Smoking contains 80 carcinogenic chemicals and smoking tobacco contains 28 types of cancerous chemicals. Despite various provisions in the anti-smoking law in India, it is a real tragedy for India that young people are being attracted to cannabis, hashish and other drug addicts along with tobacco, added by Dr. Anup Tamhankar oncologist and surgeon at Terna Specialty Hospital and Research Center.