Erinome: Hello everyone, welcome back to our health chat! I'm Erinome.
Enceladus: And I'm Enceladus. Today, we have some very important news to talk about.
Erinome: Yes, it's about cancer. Oh no, it sounds sad.
Enceladus: Don't be too sad. The news is actually quite hopeful. A new study says many cancers can be prevented.
Erinome: Really? Wow, that's good news. Tell me more.
Enceladus: Okay. The study is from the World Health Organization. They looked at data from 185 countries.
Erinome: 185 countries? That's a lot of people.
Enceladus: Yes. In 2022, there were about 18.7 million new cancer cases in the world.
Erinome: 18.7 million? That's a very big number.
Enceladus: It is. But listen to this: about 7.1 million of those cases could have been prevented.
Erinome: 7.1 million? How is that possible?
Enceladus: The study says these cancers were caused by things we can change. They call them 'modifiable risk factors'.
Erinome: Modifiable risk factors? You know that? That means things we can control.
Enceladus: Exactly. Things like smoking, drinking alcohol, being overweight, not exercising enough.
Erinome: Oh, I see. So, if people change these habits, they can avoid cancer?
Enceladus: That's what the study suggests. About 37.8% of all new cancers were linked to these risk factors.
Erinome: 37.8%? So, nearly four out of ten cancers could be avoided? That's amazing.
Enceladus: It is amazing. But there's more. The study found the top three risk factors.
Erinome: What are they?
Enceladus: Number one is smoking. It caused 15.1% of all cancer cases.
Erinome: Smoking? I know it's bad, but 15.1% is very high.
Enceladus: Yes. The second is infection. Things like HPV virus and H. pylori bacteria.
Erinome: Infection? You mean we can get cancer from germs?
Enceladus: Yes. Infections caused 10.2% of the cases. But we have vaccines for some, like HPV.
Erinome: That's good. We should get vaccinated. What's the third factor?
Enceladus: The third is drinking alcohol. It caused 3.2% of the cases.
Erinome: Even a little alcohol can cause cancer?
Enceladus: The study says yes, even moderate drinking can increase the risk.
Erinome: Hmm, that's something to think about. So, smoking, infection, and alcohol are the big three.
Enceladus: Right. And the study says three types of cancer make up almost half of these preventable cases.
Erinome: Which cancers?
Enceladus: Lung cancer, stomach cancer, and cervical cancer.
Erinome: Lung cancer... that makes sense because of smoking. What about stomach cancer?
Enceladus: Stomach cancer is often linked to H. pylori infection. And cervical cancer is almost always caused by HPV.
Erinome: So, if we control infections, we can prevent these cancers too.
Enceladus: Yes. The study also found a big difference between men and women.
Erinome: What kind of difference?
Enceladus: For men, 45.4% of their cancers were linked to these risk factors. For women, it was 29.7%.
Erinome: Wow, men have a much higher risk. Why is that?
Enceladus: The study says men are more likely to smoke, drink alcohol, and have risky jobs.
Erinome: I see. So, men need to be more careful.
Enceladus: Yes. And there are differences between places too. For example, in East Asia, 57.2% of cancers in men could be prevented.
Erinome: 57.2%? That's more than half! That's very high.
Enceladus: It is. It shows that where you live and your habits really matter.
Erinome: So, what can we do? This is a lot of information.
Enceladus: Don't worry. The study gives some simple advice. First, don't smoke. If you smoke, try to stop.
Erinome: Okay, no smoking. What else?
Enceladus: Second, drink less alcohol, or don't drink at all.
Erinome: Um, that might be hard for some people, but it's important.
Enceladus: Third, get vaccinated. Get the HPV vaccine and the hepatitis B vaccine.
Erinome: Vaccines are very important. I agree.
Enceladus: Fourth, try to have a healthy weight. Eat good food and exercise.
Erinome: Exercise is good for many things, not just preventing cancer.
Enceladus: Yes. And fifth, be aware of your environment. Try to avoid air pollution if you can.
Erinome: Air pollution? That's a big problem in some cities.
Enceladus: It is. The study says air pollution is a risk factor, especially for lung cancer.
Erinome: This is very useful. So, cancer is not just about luck or genes.
Enceladus: Exactly. The study says cancer is not our 'fate'. We can do something about it.
Erinome: That's a very positive message. We have the power to reduce our risk.
Enceladus: We do. It's about making better choices every day.
Erinome: But, you know, changing habits is not easy.
Enceladus: That's true. But even small changes can help. And we have doctors and public health policies to support us.
Erinome: Right. Like no-smoking areas and vaccination programs.
Enceladus: Yes. The study says prevention is the best and most cost-effective way to fight cancer.
Erinome: Prevention is better than cure. I've heard that before.
