According to the statistics of the World Health Organization (WHO), there are 20 million new cases of cancer in the world every year and about 235 thousand new cases of cancer in our country. Cancer ranks amongst the diseases that cause the most deaths in society. Konya Chamber of Commerce (KTO) Karatay University School of Health Sciences Director Assoc. Dr. Füsun Sunar communicated valuable information about the diagnosis and possible treatment of cancer. "Environmental and genetic factors increase the risk of cancer". The Director of KTO Karatay University School of Health Sciences, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Füsun Sunar pointed out that the cancer-causing factors can be divided into two groups: Environmental factors and genetic factors, whilst also remarking that "Cancer prevention is only possible by detecting the causative factors and, ultimately eliminating them, as well as living a life without them. Among the environmental causes are smoking, diet, obesity, hormones, viruses, and physical and chemical agents. In addition, cancer is more often seen in chronic inflammation and on the background of benign tumors." "Smoking is the Leading Cause of Cancer" Sunar emphasized that identifying familial cancer cases, performing molecular genetic analysis specifically for these cases, and alerting the entire family in this direction is the most important approach to take on for the prevention of genetic cancers. "Smoking, being the leading cause of cancer, is one of the most serious health problems faced by our society. Lung cancer is the most common cancer in men and with smoking being the most important factor in its etiology. It is essential to raise awareness at the social level about smoking, which is commonly seen in our country. Above all, keeping the youth away from smoking and other similar addictive substances remains an important issue for our future. In developed countries, anti-smoking propaganda is having an impact, and smoking amongst young people is in gradual decline. But unfortunately, smoking is not decreasing in developing countries; on the contrary, it is increasing, particularly amongst young people." "Poor Nutrition and Physical Inactivity Trigger Cancer" Sunar noted that many factors, including the food consumed, food additives, sweeteners, food coloring chemicals, and the way food is cooked, are among the causes of cancer: "Excessive alcohol consumption leads to an increase in mouth, larynx, and esophagus cancers. One of the most important problems of our time, overweight -obesity- and malnutrition can directly or indirectly cause different types of cancer." Sunar stated; "Today, one of the most suitable diets for human health, which is acknowledged even in the United States of America, is the diet pattern of the Aegean Region, the apple of our eyes, which simply consists of cooking fresh herbs that can be found in all seasons with olive oil, consuming plenty of dairy products such as cheese and yogurt, and including foods high in fiber in daily diets. In addition, exercises such as walking, jogging, and cardio play a major role in the prevention of cancer" and highlighted the importance of eating and exercising habits. "Cancer Treatment is Possible with Regular Control and Early Diagnosis" "Cancer prevention and early detection can help make this disease less feared. Early diagnosis and treatment of colon, breast, prostate, and cervical cancer are possible through screening methods. KETEM (Cancer Early Diagnosis, Screening, and Education Centre) and family health centers conduct regular screening for these cancers in our country. In the fight against cancer, the focus today is on measures to prevent the disease. This entails avoiding cancer-causing factors as much as possible, investigating the family risk of cancer if there is a family risk of cancer, and having regular screening examinations for early detection. In addition to the health policy, everyone should take responsibility for their own health and do what it takes for the prevention and early detection of the disease.
