Jeonbuk Regional Cancer Center Youngbeom Jung Director
Cancer is the number one leading cause of death in Korea.
Cancer is a disease that claims many lives each year. Heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, and pneumonia follow, but cancer has an overwhelming mortality rate compared to other diseases.
Since about 80-90% of all cancers are caused by lifestyle and environmental factors, cancer can be prevented by improving lifestyle and environmental factors.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), ‘one-third of cancer cases can be prevented by practicing preventive activities, 1/3 can be cured through early diagnosis and early treatment, and the remaining 1/3 of cancer patients In order to emphasize the importance of cancer prevention in the sense that it can be alleviated with appropriate treatment, March 21st was designated as the anniversary with the meaning of ‘3-2-1’.
Through Cancer Prevention Day, we further emphasize the importance of cancer prevention and early detection, and encourage a healthy lifestyle and early screening.
A healthy lifestyle plays the most important role in cancer prevention.
In particular, eating habits are very important. Excessive fat intake, salt and sugar intake, and lack of dietary fiber increase the risk of cancer. Smoking and drinking are also major factors that increase the risk of cancer.
The following are 10 lifestyle guidelines recommended by the National Cancer Center to prevent cancer.
△ quitting smoking △ avoiding even small amounts of alcohol △ eating a balanced diet △ not eating salty food △ exercising for at least 30 minutes a day △ maintaining a healthy weight △ getting vaccinated against hepatitis B and cervical cancer △ living a safe sex life △ avoiding carcinogenic substances Avoid being exposed △ Get an early cancer screening, etc.
Since cancer has a significantly lower cure rate when symptoms have already appeared, it is most important to detect and treat cancer early through regular checkups. Cancer screening is one of the important key measures to prevent cancer. Many people still do not recognize the importance of screening and often ignore or postpone it.
Accordingly, the country is conducting a national cancer screening project targeting cancers with high mortality and incidence.
In 2023, national cancer screening subjects are those born in odd years, and for gastric cancer, men and women aged 40 years or older should undergo gastric endoscopy or gastrointestinal angiography every 2 years. Hepatic ultrasonography and serum alpha-fetoprotein test are performed every 6 months in patients who have been confirmed positive for viral antigen or hepatitis C virus antibody).
For colorectal cancer, fecal occult blood test is performed every year for men and women aged 50 years, and colonoscopy or colonoscopy is performed if abnormal findings are found. For breast cancer, mammography is performed every 2 years for women aged 40 years or older. For cervical cancer, the government supports cervical cytology every 2 years for women aged 20 years or older. At a minimum, performing tests for it plays an important role in early detection of cancer.
Above all, maintaining a healthy mind is a great help in preventing cancer. Constant stress weakens the immune system and causes hormonal imbalance, which can promote cancer.
Therefore, it is recommended to manage stress appropriately through light exercise such as meditation, yoga, breathing, hobbies, and conversations with family.
Prevention should always take precedence over cure. In order to maintain a healthy life, it is important to receive routine preventive care and checkups.
Cancer prevention is never easy, but we must make steady efforts for a healthy life. We recommend that you share information about cancer prevention with your family, friends, and colleagues and practice it together.
Jeonbuk Regional Cancer Center Youngbeom Jung Director