Hope in curing cancer
Cancer could strike anyone regardless of age, sex or race. More than 10 million people are diagnosed with cancer every year. It is estimated that there will be 15 million new cases every year by 2020. Cancer causes 6 million deaths every year or 12% of deaths worldwide.
However, there is still hope. With new technologies, medication and treatment techniques, healthcare professionals are now better equipped at managing and treating the disease.
To begin understanding cancer, it is important to realize that the condition is not a single disease with a single type of treatment. There are more than 200 different types of cancer, each with its own name and treatment.
Normal body cells grow, divide, stop growing, and, over time, die. Cancer cells, on the other hand, grow divide out of control, spreading rapidly and refusing to die. During these growing periods, they usually group or clump together to form cancerous tumors.
Singapore’s scientists are responding to that need, constantly improving or developing clever and new anti-cancer agents that are changing the way the disease is treated. For example, a special device made from polymers was recently invented in the Republic that mimics the inside of a blood vessel’s wall. This device allows them to study how cells move or migrate within the body. It is hoped the gadget will keep cells alive in an incubator and provide a way to test the drugs that fight cancerous cells.
The whole array of new therapies other than chemotherapy or radiation therapy that has opened many doors in cancer therapeutics is available in Singapore. Brachytherapy is one such treatment. It offers fewer side effects and is highly effective especially in late stage cancers, where other alternative treatment may not be available.
Although it is still not known how to prevent cancer, it is possible to reduce the risks by making certain lifestyle changes. For instance, not smoking, avoiding over exposure to the skin by the sun, and moderating the amount of alcohol on a daily basis all lessen the chance of getting cancers. Eating a well-balanced diet, including five portions of fruits and vegetables daily, regular exercise and going for regular tests also decreases the possibility.
