The Epidemiology of Human Cancer The Public

The Public Misconception and Its Consequences

Cancer is a multi-faceted disorder involving cellular development. As a cause of death in the United States, neoplastic diseases currently rank second. Because cancer is so prevalent, the National Cancer Institute is taking steps to dramatically reduce its mortality by the year 2000. Unfortunately though, misguided public perception could disrupt this effort. The scientific evidence clearly shows that most types of cancer are primarily caused by lifestyle choices (i.e., tobacco use, nutrition, alcohol use, sexual behaviors, etc.). Despite this fact, however, public attention tends to focus on such extraneous factors as environmental exposure. This concern derives more from emotion than truth, and easily escalates to hysteria. Such fervor is easily exploited by both politicians and the media. Unfortunately though, inaccurate public perceptions can direct scarce resources away from the real cancer problem. Only by changing health behaviors and then sustaining those changes, can effective cancer prevention be achieved.

Heterogenous and etiologically complex, cancer comes in many different forms and is caused by innumerable factors. For the most part, the various neoplastic diseases can all be characterized as disorders of cell proliferation. Normal cell growth and differentiation are dynamic processes which give rise to enormous structural and functional diversity. This cellular

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xic carcinogens in food may be derived from different sources. For example, broiled meat or fried meat and fish may contain benzo[a]pyrene. Finally, foods which are pickled, smoked, or contaminated with aflatoxins may also cause cancer. Perhaps the most important nutritional factor associated with cancer is that of fat. Western diets typically contain excessive amounts of this particular food component. This fat, which may make up 40% of a person's total caloric intake, may act as a cancer promoter. Hence, high fat diets have been correlated with a increased risk for cancers of the large bowel, breast, prostate, ovary, endometrium, and pancreas. Certain exceptions to these correlations only serve to further define these phenomena. For example, in the Mediterranean region, fat intake consists primarily of olive oil. These mono-unsaturated oils have little promoting effect. In addition, another exception involves the Arctic population, or Eskimos. Although these people consume a diet consisting of about 40% to 45% fat, their particular fats are derived from fish and seal. These omega-3 fatty acids are thought to have protective qualities (22:90). Thirdly, the population of Finland also has a high total fat intake a
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Approximate Word count = 5081
Approximate Pages = 20 (250 words per page)

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