The word ‘cancer’ is one of the most unpleasant word to hear and renders goose bumps whenever it passes through our ear-drum. But, regardless of how unpleasant it is, one needs to understand everything about cancer if he wants to keep himself and loved on

What is cancer?

A disease that begins as a renegade human cell over which the body has lost control, cancer cell continues to divide and multiply at their own speed, forming abnormal lumps or tumors. However, all cancers are not natural born killers. Some tumors referred to as benign because they don’t spread elsewhere in the body but cells of malignant tumors do invade other tissues and will continue to spread if left untreated to secondary cancers.

What are the causes of increasing rate of cancer in Nepal?

Actually, cancer rate is increasing throughout the world and the major reason of behind this is our changing lifestyle. In fact, 30-40% of cancer is due to changing lifestyle of people. The lifestyle includes diet, exercise and daily activities. Other than that, when I was studying in medical college and working as a junior doctor, we hardly could find any cancer patient. But now, because of increasing population and awareness (diagnosing rate), number of cancer patient is also increasing.

What are the major foods that are vulnerable to cancer?

Beyond excessive use of tobacco, alcohol and smoking, the first thing I would say is the way of eating non vegetarian food such as BBQ, dry and roasted meat. Biltong meat is the worst one because when the meat is grilled, the saturated fats melts down in the fire, and creates a toxic chemical then, such chemical drape around the meat along with smoke. This is the actual flavor that makes food delicious but injurious to health. Such foods might cause stomach cancer and intestine cancer. Similarly, other foods which cause cancer are salty food, stale foods, chemical mixed foods, insecticides foods, fungus foods and oily foods. Fungus foods can cause liver cancer.

These days’ pesticides vegetables and fruits are escalating. Do such foods cause cancer?

Yes, to certain extend pesticides foods are injurious to health and it has been proved that it causes cancer to animal however, it is yet to be prove that those foods causes cancer to human beings as well. Through general trend, we have analyze that blood cancer patients are more from those areas where pesticides foods are grown and available heavily but, research in such areas are yet to be conducted.

How can we avoid such pesticides foods?

People should be more careful while choosing vegetables and fruits. Organic foods should be preferred over non-organic goods. It is said that fruits and vegetables which are eaten by insects are not pesticides and are healthy and I believe that’s true. Likewise, the next technique would be vegetables shouldn’t be cook right after buying it, rather leave it into water overnight. This helps to haul out some traces of pesticides. People have misconception that refrigerator helps to eradicate pesticides from foods but this is not true. It only helps to save foods from fungus.

Is there any specific food that causes breast cancer?

Breast cancer doesn’t have exact relation with foods. Some people by birth are slightly defective and when such people are deteriorate by unfavorable environment condition, unbalance diet and hormone imbalance then, this increase the chances of breast cancer to them. Breast cancer can be hereditary as well. According to past record, 5-10% patient have hereditary breast cancer.

Could you share us some signs and symptoms of breast cancer?

A lump in breast is the most common symptom of breast cancer. Most breast lumps are not cancerous. They are usually fluid-filled lumps or fibroadenoma but it is important to get a lump or any other symptoms checked by GP. Some other symptoms are change in size and shape of breast, a turned in (inverted) nipple, rashes on the nipple, swelling or lump in armpit.

What do you recommend for those people who have hereditary of breast cancer?

I suggest those people to check their health in clinical genetics. The first step in such clinic is risk screening where risk factors are analyze in detail for example; structure of family, diseases family member usually suffers from, which family member had suffered from which cancer and at what age. After screening, if a person is suspected to have any hereditary cancer then, they are recommended to take hereditary test, which is still not available in Nepal but we send them to abroad. After test, if the result is positive then, such person needs to be more careful, check frequently and take precautions.  

What is the most common cancer that could happen to male and female?

The most common cancer in male are lung cancer, head and neck cancer and gland cancer and in female are ovary or cervical cancer and breast cancer. I want to inform that there is vaccination for cervical cancer but should be given before involving in sexual activities.

How cancer is generally treated?

Treatment of cancer involves three methods: Surgery, chemotherapy and radiation or mixture of two methods, even all three methods depending on the cancer. Having said this, majority are given chemotherapy. Chemotherapy is basically done through drug and chemical. Chemotherapy can be given in various forms such as: through skin (injection form), mouth (eating form), vein and also directly injecting through artery in tumor. Chemotherapy in 1st or 2nd stage of cancer is given after surgery so that the tumor doesn’t get back. Chemotherapy in 3rd or 4th stage is given to minimize cancer as far as possible where surgery is hard to conduct.

It is said that, hospitals of Nepal don’t have best treatment for cancer so patient should go abroad for treatment. What do you have to say about this?

Usually, other countries are creating false impression and frigheting Nepalese people. They usually comment to their existing Nepalese patient that Nepal doesn’t have good medical treatment and can’t take guarantee of your further treatment is done in Nepal. This kind of emotional dread is created so that Nepalese don’t go back to their country for further treatment. The another reason could be Nepalese don’t have habit of regular health check up hence, usually 3rd or 4th stage cancer patients join us and such stage cancer is hard to cure. Also, there are number of people who had suffered from cancer and are cured however, such cured patients are reluctant to voice out ‘they had cancer’ because they think that if they say it then, no one will marry their daughter or son. So, public don’t get message of those people whose cancer is cured but they keep hearing the message of those people whose cancer couldn’t be cured. I am confident that any cancer can be cured in Nepal if it can be cure in America or India. However, there are some cases where we, ourselves recommended our patient to go abroad for further treatment if we don’t have equipment that is needed to cure that case of cancer.