Friday 6 April 2012

Womb Cancer Deaths 'are Rising'

Womb Cancer

Reading the news this morning I came across a worrying article about womb cancer. Studies conducted by Cancer Research show that more women are being diagnosed and survival rates are also improving with up to 77% of women living for 5 years after treatment; improvements in surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy are all contributing to the better survival rates.

Unfortunately, more deaths are being reported:"In the past decade the mortality rate has gone from 3.1 to 3.7 deaths from uterine cancer for every 100,000 women. In 2010, 1,937 women died from the cancer." While that might not seem like a big increase it is still far too many! 

Now whether that is because of more diagnoses or of some other factors it is still being argued. However, the increase has been argued in the medical community to the rising levels of obesity in the population. With that in mind it now, more than ever, very important to keep ourselves healthy and to decreased our risk for developing obesity related diseases. If obesity rates continue to rise the number of cancer diagnoses may also increase.

For women who are obese the risks for cancer increase tremendously with womb (the fourth most common), breast, bowel, esophageal, pancreatic and kidney cancers being the most reported cases. For men this includes prostate, lung and colon cancers.

Tips for Decreasing your Cancer Risk

  • Lose any extra weight you have
  • Exercise regularly
  • Eat a healthy diet full of fruits and vegetables
  • Stop smoking/using tobacco
  • Limit your alcohol intake
  • Protect yourself from the sun - don't get sunburnt and use sunscreen
  • Practice safe sex - STDs increase your cancer risk
  • Keep strict control of any medical problems you may have
  • Go for a check-up regularly with your doctor, including dentists
Have you, or someone you know been effected by cancer? Perhaps you raise money for cancer charities and have an event coming up? Leave a comment so that we can increase cancer awareness.

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