Cancer continues to be one of the world’s leading causes of morbidity. It encompasses a set of genetic diseases in which there is an excessive proliferation of cells in a tissue, forming, in most cases, a solid tumor.
The incidence continues to increase: 24 million people in the world will be diagnosed with cancer in 2035, and in 2015 the estimated figure for 2020 was already exceeded by a thousand cases, according to data from the Spanish Society of Medical Oncology.
At a global level, lung cancer is the most common type of tumor. By sex, breast cancer has the highest incidence in women and prostate cancer in men. Although the cancer incidence rate increases, survival also increases.
Surgery is usually the first-line treatment, especially in the early stages of the disease.
But advances in therapies such as immunotherapy or antibody therapy have achieved very promising results, allowing to stop the progression of tumors, and that will end up turning cancer into a chronic disease, with personalized treatment, and with high survival rates.
Early detection is essential for cancer survival. For example, melanoma skin cancer has a 98% chance of survival if detected in the primary stages.
Although it is not possible to safely prevent cancer, environmental factors and lifestyle habits play a fundamental role in its development.
Eating a balanced diet, engaging in frequent physical exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, avoiding toxins such as alcohol or tobacco, moderate exposure to the sun, and regularly undergo early detection tests help maintain a healthy life and reduce the likelihood of suffering a Cancer.
