Cancer, also called malignancy, one of the most dreaded diseases in the world is the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells anywhere in a body. These abnormal cells are termed cancer cells, malignant cells, or tumor cells and can infiltrate normal body tissues.Many cancers and the abnormal cells that compose the cancer tissue are further identified by the name of the tissue that the abnormal cells originated from (for example, breast cancer, skin cancer, lung cancer, colon cancer, prostate cancer, lymphoma). There are more than 100 types of cancer and total world incidence shows the enormous health problem caused by cancer, which is recognized as the second killer disease in humans.World is facing an epidemic of non-communicable diseases which are responsible for more than three fifths of the deaths globally (36 million), largely contributed by cardiovascular diseases (48% of non-communicable disease deaths), cancers (21% of non-communicable disease deaths), chronic respiratory diseases (4.2 million deaths), and diabetes mellitus (1.3 million deaths) and it is supposed to get worse at the end of this decade.The rising global incidence of malignant diseases as documented by World Health Organization is an issue of serious concern, particularly in the developing countries where the increase seems to be more preponderant. Despite the great progress made in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, poor countries face lack of protective measures. Estimates show that 50% of the people suffering from cancers are from these countries. The most familiar types of cancers with highest rate of mortality are the cancers of lung, stomach, liver, colorectal and esophagus among men and the breast, lung, stomach, colorectal and cervical cancers among women. Cancer is not confined to humans; animals and other living organisms can get cancer. The Figure attached shows normal cell division and how when a cell is damaged or altered without repair to its system, the cell usually dies. It is also shown what occurs when such damaged or unrepaired cells do not die and become cancer cells and show uncontrolled division and growth — a mass of cancer cells develop. Frequently, cancer cells can break away from this original mass of cells, travel through the blood and lymph systems, and lodge in other organs where they can again repeat the uncontrolled growth cycle. This process of cancer cells leaving an area and growing in another body area is termed metastatic spread or metastasis. For example, if breast cancer cells spread to a bone, it means that the individual has metastatic breast cancer to bone. This is not the same as “bone cancer,” which would mean the cancer had started in the bone.The symptoms of cancer vary depending on the type. There are many causes of cancer, and some are preventable. In addition to smoking, risk factors for cancer include: heavy alcohol consumption, excess body weight, physical inactivity and poor nutrition. Other causes of cancer are not preventable. Currently, the most significant unpreventable risk factor is age.According to the American Cancer Society, doctors in the U.S. diagnose 87 percent of cancer cases in people ages 50 years or older. The Genetic factors can contribute to the development of cancer. A person’s genetic code tells their cells when to divide and expire. Changes in the genes can lead to faulty instructions, and cancer can result. Genes also influence the cells’ production of proteins, and proteins carry many of the instructions for cellular growth and division. Some genes change proteins that would usually repair damaged cells.This can lead to cancer.If a parent has these genes, they may pass on the altered instructions to their offspring. Some genetic changes occur after birth, and factors such as smoking and sun exposure can increase the risk.
Other changes that can result in cancer take place in the chemical signals that determine how the body deploys, or “expresses” specific genes. Finally, a person can inherit a predisposition for a type of cancer. A doctor may refer to this as having a hereditary cancer syndrome. Inherited genetic mutations significantly contribute to the development of 5–10 percent of cancer cases. Cancer causes about 1 in every 6 deaths worldwide, more than AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria combined. Today, it is the second-leading cause of death (following cardiovascular diseases) worldwide and in high- and very high Human Development Index (HDI) countries. By 2040, the global burden is expected to grow to 27.5 million new cancer cases and 16.3 million cancer deaths simply due to the growth and aging of the population. Kashmir, located at an altitude of 1800-2400 m from the sea level over the past few years has witnessed a tremendous increase in the incidence of cancer, especially breast cancer in its unexplored ethnic population. Over all Incidence of cancer in Kashmir valley showed a distinctly increasing trend over the past decade and the number of cancers diagnosed is expected to double between the period 2012 and 2027. Kashmir valley has an unprecedented high incidence of gastric cancer possibly due to their special personal habits like smoking of Hukka and consuming dried and pickled vegetables, smoked fish and mixed spice/cake (Wur).Breast cancer is one of the most common cancer among women in Kashmir valley and worldwide. Breast cancer patients in Kashmir are commonly presented at a relatively young age and with an advanced stage of disease. The researchers reported that Breast Cancer in Kashmiri women is the second common cancer in the valley after Oesophageal Cancer. Besides, in India Breast Cancer too is the second common Cancer among women however the first being Cervical Cancer. Breast Cancer occurs with the highest incidence within the age group 30-50 and is approximately three times higher in urban areas as compared to rural areas. Besides, lack of awareness, a number of specific reasons are said to be responsible for the increased risk of Breast Cancer. “Women who have had more monthly cycles because they started their cycles at an early age (before 12) and/or went through menopause at a later age (after 55) have a slightly higher risk of Breast Cancer. Another reason can be the genetic factor. A woman’s risk of developing breast cancer is higher if her mother, sister, or daughter had the same problem of breast cancer,” . This could be due to lack of awareness, knowledge and beliefs about breast cancer and its management among females in Kashmir valley. Carcinoma of the skin in the form of “Kangri”(Fire pot) cancer was a common cancer. In Kashmir nearly 50% of the cancers of skin are of this type reported. Kangri cancer is a highly aggressive tumor with a propensity for nodal metastasis. This malignancy is virtually non-existent in the rest of world. The high incidence of this carcinoma is because of the chronic irritation of the skin due to the use of afire pot (Kangri), by the Kashmiri people during winter season, thus producing a premalignant lesion called erythema-ab-ignae.The main cause of carcinoma in Kashmir are life style, “Noon-Chai” (hot beverage boiled in samovar), hukka smoking, unhealthy foods etc. It is reported that the rise in cancer cases is also due to intake of spicy food, changing dietary habits and consumption of bulk of contaminated food items available in the market. There is massive adulteration in mass consumption food items which kills people slowly. There are increasing number of patients complaining of food poisoning, gastric troubles and other problems. Any delay in detection of the cancer can prove fatal. There is an increasing incidence of cancer mortality with considerable variation in mortality for different types of cancers in different areas with different physical, socioeconomic & cultural environments. Situation is changing as far as the deadly disease cancer is concerned and the diseases are alarmingly on surge. Innovative research has fueled the development of new medications and treatment technologies. Doctors usually prescribe treatments based on the type of cancer, its stage at diagnosis, and the person’s overall health. The side effects of chemotherapy include hair loss. However, advances in treatment are improving the outlook for people with cancer. Below are examples of approaches to cancer treatment: (a) Chemotherapy aims to kill cancerous cells with medications that target rapidly dividing cells. The drugs can also help shrink tumors, but the side effects can be severe (b) Hormone therapy involves taking medications that change how certain hormones work or interfere with the body’s ability to produce them. When hormones play a significant role, as with prostate and breast cancers, this is a common approach (c) Immunotherapy uses medications and other treatments to boost the immune system and encourage it to fight cancerous cells. Two examples of these treatments are checkpoint inhibitors and adoptive cell transfer (d) Precision medicine, or personalized medicine, is a newer, developing approach. It involves using genetic testing to determine the best treatments for a person’s particular presentation of cancer. Researchers have yet to show that it can effectively treat all types of cancer, however (e) Radiation therapy uses high-dose radiation to kill cancerous cells. Also, a doctor may recommend using radiation to shrink a tumor before surgery or reduce tumor-related symptoms (f) Stem cell transplant can be especially beneficial for people with blood-related cancers, such as leukemia or lymphoma. It involves removing cells, such as red or white blood cells, that chemotherapy or radiation has destroyed. Lab technicians then strengthen the cells and put them back into the body (g) Surgery is often a part of a treatment plan when a person has a cancerous tumor. Also, a surgeon may remove lymph nodes to reduce or prevent the disease’s spread (h) Targeted therapies perform functions within cancerous cells to prevent them from multiplying. They can also boost the immune system. Two examples of these therapies are small-molecule drugs and monoclonal antibodies. Doctors will often employ more than one type of treatment to maximize effectiveness. World Cancer Day was established on 4 February 2000 at the World Cancer Summit Against Cancer for the New Millenium, which was held in Paris. The Charter of Paris Against Cancer, which was created to promote research, prevent cancer, improve patient services, also included an article establishing the anniversary of the document’s official signing as World Cancer Day, was signed at the Summit by the then General Director of UNESCO, Kōichirō Matsuura, and then French President Jacques Chirac in Paris on 4 February 2000. World Cancer Day is an international day marked on February 4 to raise awareness of cancer and to encourage its prevention, detection, and treatment. World Cancer Day is led by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) to support the goals of the World Cancer Declaration, written in 2008. The primary goal of World Cancer Day is to significantly reduce illness and death caused by cancer and is an opportunity to rally the international community to end the injustice of preventable suffering from cancer. The day is observed by the United Nations and targets misinformation, raises awareness, and reduces stigma. Multiple initiatives are run on World Cancer Day to show support for those affected by cancer. World Cancer Day is marked by the international cancer community, governments and individuals around the world. Each year, more than 900 activities take place in over 100 different countries, with the day itself a trending topic on Twitter. World Cancer Day is a truly global event. In order to achieve our objective of reaching as much of the world’s population as possible, we need help of each other. Whether one do something as large as running his/her own World Cancer Day campaign, or as simple as sharing template messages amongst his/her networks, every action has an impact. Show the world that we can, I can get involved in the fight against cancer. It is concluded that every year world cancer day is celebrated on 04 February so that awareness about cancer can be spread around the world. This year’s theme is ‘I am and I will’.Celebrating world cancer day means raising awareness about cancer in people and encouraging its prevention, detection and treatment. World Cancer Awareness Day is celebrated all over the world every year to increase awareness about cancer and to prevent its growth rate in the society. “On World Cancer Day, let us all promise to never surrender or let anyone else surrender to this disease.” “Cancer is just like any other challenge we face in our lives and we must never give up to it…. Let us fight and be a winner.”
(While Bilkees Nazir is a Research scholar of department of zoology, University of Kashmir, Dr Bilal A Bhat is an Associate Professor at S K University Of Agriculture Sciences & Technology-SKAUAST Shalimar Kashmir. Views are his own)