As the years go by, the damage caused by cancer in Mexico is greater. In most of the items, an increase in incidence derived from the lack of periodic medical check-ups is identified. Among the population there is no culture of going to the doctor from the appearance of the first complaints. Therefore the disease progresses to stages where there is little chance of cure.
In this regard, the director of the National Cancer Institute (INCan), Abelardo Meneses Garciastated that the Ministry of Health (SSa) strengthens actions for the prevention and timely detection of cancer from the first level of care with first contact health professionals (medical, nursing, dental and nutrition personnel, among others) to reduce incidence and deaths from this cause.
Changes for the better that have been presented
He also indicated that co-responsibility is key in the prevention of this disease. As an example, he mentioned cervical cancer, which for decades ranked first for malignant tumors in Mexico. On the other hand, as a result of timely diagnosis campaigns and greater sensitivity of women to undergo the Papanicolaou study, today it is located in fifth place, and with this it has been possible to increase the survival of patients.
The director general of the INCan announced that cancer is the third cause of death in the country, because seven out of 10 patients who seek medical attention come when the disease is in advanced stages. For this reason, he called on the population to request a medical check-up on a regular basis and not wait for symptoms.
The most frequent tumors
In Mexico, an average of 195,000 new cases of tumors are detected each year, of which around 30,000 correspond to breast cancer and 27 thousand prostate. Followed by colon cancer, lymphomas, thyroid, cervical-uterine and lung, among the most frequent.
He exhorted to give special attention to the pediatric and adolescent population groups, where diseases of the hematopoietic system predominate, such as leukemias and lymphomas. The most frequent symptoms and signs are paleness, tiredness, bruises not associated with blows or trauma, bleeding from the gums or nose and loss of appetite. Both mothers and fathers as well as teachers are in a position to detect it early.
Meneses García pointed out that tobacco consumption is one of the most frequent factors of cancer, causing a third of all malignant tumors, mainly of the oral cavity, larynx, esophagus, lungs, urinary bladder, colon and breast. Each cigarette contains around 4,500 toxic substances, of which 68 are potentially carcinogenic.
He mentioned that another risk factor is the intake of hypercaloric foods that, combined with a sedentary lifestyle, have led the population to suffer from overweight and obesity and to be the cause of some types of cancer such as colon, gallbladder, pancreas, breast and prostate, in addition to giving rise to heart disease and diabetes mellitus, among others.
The director general of the INCan expressed that every day there is a greater number of sedentary people and now, as a consequence of the pandemic, people, and especially children and adolescents, spend more than eight hours in front of an electronic device.
The director also mentioned that certain viral agents such as human papillomavirus (HPV) are associated with cervical-uterine cancer. Therefore, he recommended performing a Pap smear once sexual activity began. Other viral agents such as those of hepatitis B and C can lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer, so it is very important to be vaccinated against these types of viruses.
Another risk factor is frequent exposure to sunlight (ultraviolet rays), since frequent exposure over time can cause skin cancer, therefore the recommendation to reduce exposure to the sun and use a hat or some type of solar filter.
Meneses García reported that, in the face of the pandemic, the INCan designated a COVID area to care for patients with cancer and COVID, as well as provide care to workers with symptoms of the disease. Likewise, today, due to the presence of the omicron variant, the number of infected patients and staff has increased and more rooms have been set up for their care, without neglecting cancer patients. In addition, timely detection programs continue.