Guarding Against Cancer

By Adegbenro Adenekan

 AS the world marked the 2017 World Cancer Day on Saturday, it is imperative for the people to know what causes cancer and the steps to be taken to guard against the killer ailment. Cancer is one of the leading killer diseases in the world today. It leads to abnormal growth of a group of body cells and more than 250 diseases.

Cancer is malignant in nature and it claims many lives annually. It can be found in the lungs, breast, uterus, gall bladder, blood, prostate, thyroid, liver and tongue, to mention but a few.

This disease is sometimes characterised by pain, a lump or a sore that does not heal. There is also sometimes indigestion, difficulty in swallowing, a mole, a thickening or a lump in the breast, unusual bleeding during menstrual period, discharge, loss of weight, change in skin colour or a persistent cough, depending on the part  of the body affected by the cancer.

About 80 per cent of cancer cases can be attributed to the   violation of the natural law of cause and effect. Tobacco and alcohol are known cancer causing agents, while heavy consumption of the duo can lead to cancer of the tongue, lips, mouth, throat, liver, cancer, lungs and stomach.

Also, a major contributor to cancer is an exposure to industrial pollutants such as soot, high doses of x-ray, nickel, tar and asbestos. This can lead to cancer of the lungs, blood and the skin. Some viral infections, trauma and hormonal imbalances can also result in cancer.   Malnutrition, which compromises the body’s immune system, can also be a major contributor to cancer. Many biologists believe that cancer can result from a faulty diet.

Speaking on the prevention and treatment of cancer, Ogun State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Babatunde Ipaye, said anyone who is not susceptible to cancer may likely not develop it. He, however, noted that Comprehensive Radionic Computer Blood Analysis and diagnosis, which can detect cancerous tendencies at the incubation stage, can go a long way in preventing the disease.

He advised that living a life of moderation can reduce people’s chances of getting cancer. Total elimination of all kinds of environmental sources of carcinogens, such as smoking, and carcinogenic chemicals in water, air and food, are other ways of preventing the disease.

He explained that the wife of the Ogun State Governor, Mrs. Olufunsho Amosun, with some development partners, recently flagged off a cancer awareness programme.

The Commissioner also advised that prevention and treatment of cancer can include taking of vitamins in large doses; eating of natural foods and the cleaning of the colon, to relieve constipation. These also make the skin, liver, kidney, lungs and all organs that are prone to cancer to be healthy.

He disclosed that Swedish studies of intake of vitamin C for the last 30 years have recently found that a mixture of vitamin C and a copper compound has lethal effects on cancer. He added that several studies have also shown that vitamin A exerts an inhibiting effect on cancer. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends a liberal consumption of green and yellow vegetables and fruits to help prevent cancer, as people who eat green and yellow vegetables every day have a decreased risk of developing lung, stomach and other cancer diseases.

 Meanwhile, a study conducted at Harvard University shows that those who reported the highest consumption of carrots, squash, tomatoes, salads or leafy green vegetables, dried fruits, fresh strawberries or melon, had a decreased risk of cancer.

Other useful methods of preventing cancer are having plenty of rest, complete freedom from worries and mental stress, taking more fresh air and, to cap it all, going for regular checkups, especially with the use of Radionic Computer Blood Analysis, which can help to detect cancer and other terminal diseases at the earlier stage.

In conclusion, it is necessary to ask ourselves certain questions. For instance, we need to ask questions about the quality of life that we are living? Is it one filled with joy, radiance and happiness or one riddled with inconvenience and pains as result of sickness? The answer is not far-fetched. The truth is that everyone will eventually die of one thing or the other, but the quality of our lives before death matters.

And, in our disciplined approach to health issues as regards living a good life, not in terms of asceticism, denials and fasting, our ability to listen to our body systems and take appropriate actions which will save us a lot of health challenges matters.As the saying goes, “prevention is better than cure”. Let us all pay attention to our health and do all that we can to prevent cancer.

*Adenekan writes from Federal Housing Estate, Elega, Abeokuta