Cancer: The Canadian Situation

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Cancer: The Canadian Situation

Introduction

Historically cancer used to be a very rare disease that affected only a small percentage of the population, around the turn of the century only a few people died of cancer. But these days, cancer is so widespread that almost everyone has a relative who suffers from cancer. Today, cancer is no exception instead it has become one of the most common diseases of our time.

The death rate from cancer among Canadian people has experienced a major decline in the last few years; according to an approximation nearly lives of 100,000 people were saved in the last twenty years. However despite this drop in the death rates cancer still remains to be the leading cause of death of Canadian people. According to the statistics given by the Canadian Cancer society there has been a decline in the death rates in the four of the major cancers which includes; breast cancer, colorectal cancer, prostate cancer, and the lung cancer, the statistics suggests that the overall death rates between the years 1988 to 2007 have dropped to 21% among men and 9% among women. Nowadays, more and more people are being diagnosed with cancer, but fortunately many of them can be successfully healed (Statistics Canada. Population Projections for Canada, Provinces and Territories 2009 to 2036, 2011).

There are over a hundred varieties of cancer or malignancy, which can lodge in various tissues and organs. Among people with cancer, some cells multiply in an uncontrolled and exaggerated manner. The Genes get deregulated in these cells and they undergo some sort of abnormal alterations, or mutations. Sometimes, cancer cells invade surrounding tissues or detach from the original tumor and migrate to other parts of the body. These are the metastasis. Most cancers take several years to form. They can occur at any age but are most often found in people aged 60 years and over. According to the statistics approximately 45% of Canadian men and 40% of Canadian women will develop cancer during their life. One in four will die as a cancer patient. The lung cancer is responsible for over a quarter of deaths caused by cancer. More cases of cancer are diagnosed before in Canada, partly because of the aging population (Bray et.al, 2004).

Discussion

Cancer is a fast, chaotic and uncontrolled cell division, which leads to swelling in the organ or tissue. These dividing cells sometimes spread to other parts of the body via the bloodstream or lymphatic system. In adulthood, the cancer is often associated with aging. Today, however, early diagnosis and modern treatment can deal with many types of cancer. The exact cause of certain types of cancer is not completely clear, but many cancers arise due to the action of chemicals called carcinogens (Statistics Canada. Cancer Incidence in Canada, 2007 and 2008, 2011). Some types of cancer can also be caused by:

Genetic disorders

Malnutrition: Diet containing too much fat, pickled products, products with mold, canned meat ...