World Cancer Day is celebrated on February 4. It aims to create awareness about the deadly disease and educate people about its causes and symptoms, thus preventing millions of deaths every year.

I recently attended a talk on “Early Detection and Prevention of Cancer,” organised by Daulat Ram College in association with Action Cancer Hospital, and here are some of the key takeaways:

🎗 The idea that cancer is a "passport to death" was dispelled, and it was reiterated that it is, in fact, treatable in today's day and age.

🎗 Cancer is not an infectious disease and does not spread via human contact; therefore, one should not treat cancer patients differently.

🎗 The disease originates in one part of the body or an organ and spreads throughout the body; this process is called metastasis.

🎗 The primary causes of cancer include tobacco, alcohol, lifestyle habits, and external factors like pollution. It is advisable to eat organic foods and maintain good hygiene while menstruating.

🎗 Each stage of cancer determines the growth and spread of the disease and the chances of its curability.

🎗 The various symptoms that a human body faces include knots in the breasts, sudden loss of appetite or weight, changes in bowel movements, abnormal bleeding, and more.

🎗 Women, especially those over the age of 40, should get a health check-up every year. Medical processes like mammography and pap smear tests have proven to prevent serious health consequences years in advance.

It is important to sensitise people about the early detection and prevention of the disease so that we can save millions of precious lives every year!