As arguably the most devastating disease of all time, cancer can pose some pressing questions. It isn’t always an easy topic to cover, but we are here to present you with all of the ignored facts about cancer that everyone should know. With the help of our list, hopefully, we can answer any questions you may have about this tragic and frightening condition. Don’t forget to check back for our coming articles, parts two through five, to see the remaining 37 pressing facts that you should know about cancer!
Number Forty-Six: Increasing Risk
In the medical realm, cancer is often known simply as malignant neoplasm. The onset of this condition can be influenced by a wide range of factors. Some of the most notable factors include poor care of infections, radiation, use of tobacco, environmental pollution, and even obesity.
Number Forty-Five: Genetic Correlations
While this illness is most often influenced by environmental factors based on certain lifestyles, it is also possible to inherit an increased risk. Of all diagnosed patients, it is estimated that roughly 10% were influenced by a genetic link.
Number Forty-Four: Cancer Sticks
It has become increasingly evident that smoking is a leading cause in the onset of this disease. In terms of the contraction of lung cancer, roughly 90% of those diagnosed were struck by their tobacco habits. To put this in perspective, tobacco use kills about 50 million people every decade, equivalent to a smoking-related death every 12 seconds.
Number Forty-Three: Poor Sleeping Habits
Oddly enough, it has been found that a lack of sleep can contribute to an increased risk of the onset of this illness. Colon cancer is more prevalent in patients who sleep an average of six or less hours per night.
Number Forty-Two: The Characteristics
Of all of the characteristics of cancer, there are two aspects of its nature that stand out above the rest. Those who have been diagnosed are privy to abnormal cell growth that results in the second characteristic, metastasis. This means that the cells are increasingly likely to spread throughout the affected body.
Number Forty-One: Mass Affect
Cancer has been shown to affect the population in mass numbers. In 2008 alone, a frighteningly large number of 12,667,500 cases of new developments were recorded across the globe. Eastern Asia accounted for the majority of these conditions, with a whopping total of 3,720,000 cases.
Number Forty: The Statistics
If you still doubt the impact that this illness has on our population, allow us to put it in perspective for you. On a mass scale, it is estimated that one in every eight people will die of cancer. This leads to more deaths than AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria combined.
Number Thirty-Nine: Following Heart Disease
Across the globe, heart disease is known to be the number one killer. This is because this illness is highly prominent in third-world countries, and growing. However, in developed countries, the number one killing disease is cancer.
Number Thirty-Eight: Global Deaths
To further impose how pressing this disease has become, 2008 recorded a mass number of 7.6 million worldwide deaths from this disease. In the future, it is expected that this rate will reach as many as 21.4 million annually by the year 2030. Don’t forget to check back for our coming articles, parts two through five, to see the remaining 37 pressing facts that you should know about cancer!