Cancer Prevention

Primary Prevention

It is well known fact that our life habits can facilitate the occurrence of a cancer. The direct relationship between tobacco consumption and the onset of lung, larynx, or bladder cancer, among others, was proven several years ago.

A healthy lifestyle can help prevent cancer.

Other habits have also been linked to the appearance of tumours in different organs. For example, alcohol abuse is related to several types of tumours, such as liver cancer, oral cavity cancer, or oesophageal cancer.

Obesity has also been linked to the development of various tumours, and its association with breast cancer or pancreatic cancer is well known.

Prolonged and repeated exposure to solar rays can cause skin cancers such as melanoma or squamous cell carcinoma.

A low-calorie, healthy diet including an abundance of fruits and vegetables and avoiding an excessive consumption of red meat can prevent the appearance of certain cancers and should be openly recommended.

Secondary Prevention

Secondary prevention refers to the early diagnosis of cancer. An early screening programme has been shown to be useful in improving survival data for some tumours. Because of this, health authorities recommend the inclusion of the potentially affected population in secondary prevention programmes. Classic examples of tumours for which early diagnosis programmes have demonstrated to be useful are breast cancer, cervical cancer, and colorectal cancer.

Una dieta saludable con abundancia de frutas y verduras, baja en calorías y evitando el exceso de carnes rojas puede prevenir la aparición de determinados cánceres y debe recomendarse abiertamente.

Prevención secundaria.

La prevención secundaria hace referencia al diagnóstico precoz del cáncer. En algunos tumores ha quedado demostrado que un programa de detección precoz es útil para mejorar los datos de supervivencia. Es por ello que las autoridades sanitarias recomiendan la inclusión de la población potencialmente afectada en dichos programas. Ejemplos clásicos de tumores en los que los programas de diagnóstico precoz han demostrado utilidad son el cáncer de mama, el cáncer de cuello uterino o el cáncer colorrectal.

Cancer Prevention