Kicking off February as National Cancer Prevention Month, World Cancer Day was observed on Feb. 4, 2013 as a global effort to raise awareness and dispel common myths about cancer. The World Health Organization estimates that eight million of the 84 million expected global cancer deaths in the next decade will be due to avoidable causes. The organization has designed a cancer control plan that will seek to reduce chronic disease death rates by two percent a year up to 2015, and will target the main causes of cancer in low to middle-income countries, where more than 70 percent of cancer deaths occur.

The plan includes programs for prevention, early detection, diagnosis and treatment. In observance, the physicians of Epic Care, Partners in Cancer Care share cancer prevention tips that can also help avoid other chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and chronic respiratory disease.

Among the most important modifiable risk factors for cancer are:

Eliminate tobacco use

Limit alcohol use to one/day for women and two/day for men

Increase fruit and vegetable intake to 8-10 servings/day

Exercise 3-6 hours/week by walking at least 3 miles per hour, or equivalent in other sport

Reduce to, or maintain, optimal body weight

Limit sun exposure and medical X-rays as much as possible

Avoid asbestos

In addition, the World Health Organization estimates that one third of cancers worldwide are potentially preventable through screening (e.g. mammograms, Pap smears, and colonoscopy) and vaccines.

Epic Care, Partners in Cancer Care supports the universal theme that early detection and proper cancer treatment are key to helping world citizens diagnosed with cancer.

The variety and effectiveness of available therapies have significantly improved. Epic Care’s team of Medical Oncologists, Hematologists, and Radiation Oncologists are on the forefront of treating cancer, offering the most advanced and up-to-date care in chemotherapy and radiation therapy and believes in a multi-disciplinary partnership approach, by assembling the best specialists available.

Epic Care, Partners in Cancer Care supports World Cancer Day and The World Health Organization’s efforts to ensure every citizen has equal access to cancer screenings and vaccines. For more information on World Cancer Day, visit www.worldcancerday.org or www.who.int/mediacentre/events/annual/world_cancer_day/en/index.html.