Reminder for the population

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in today's world, with many types of cancer last years"rejuvenated" and occur in people aged 25-35 years, and in some cases in childhood.

Carcinogenesis (lat. WithAncer- crayfish) - the process of degeneration of a normal cell into a malignant one has its own patterns and stages. Unfortunately, it is impossible to fully protect yourself and your loved ones from this disease; anyone can get cancer. Almost all tumors develop in normal tissues of the body and more often in those tissues and organs in which the rate of cell division is higher (for example: skin, intestines, lymphatic system, bone marrow, bones).

Tumor cells differ from normal cells in that instead of dying, they continue to grow and divide, to form new pathological cells. Tumor cells usually produce toxic substances that lead to a deterioration in a person's condition, weakness, loss of appetite and weight loss.

Currently, oncology has powerful methods of cancer treatment, which can be achieved especially in the early stages.

Types of active cancer prevention

There is an effective prevention of cancer, which allows you to minimize the risk of disease. Modern medicine distinguishes three types of active cancer prevention:primary, secondary and tertiary.

Primary prevention - prevention of exposure to carcinogens (the process of the appearance of a tumor). Also, primary prevention includes increasing the body's immunity, normalizing lifestyle and nutrition. Smoking cessation, alcohol abuse, physical activity, a healthy diet and weight control are very important.

Secondary prevention - detection and control of precancerous diseases, detection, prevention and treatment of early stage cancer. Secondary prevention measures include: smears for oncocytology (cervical cancer), preventive examinations, identification of risk groups, mammography (breast cancer), preventive CT scan of the lungs in smokers, PSA test (prostate cancer).

Tertiary prevention - prevention of recurrence (return) of the tumor, the appearance of metastases and new tumor diseases in cured cancer patients.

REMEMBER THAT DISEASE IS EASIER TO PREVENT THAN TO TREAT,

it is only necessary to come to the doctor in time.

SIGNS OF CANCER

1. Unexplained weight loss . Unexplained weight loss of 4-5 kg ​​or more may be the first sign of cancer.

2. An increase in temperature (fever). An increase in temperature is often seen with cancer, but most often occurs after the cancer has metastasized.

3. Increased fatigue (fatigue). Fatigue can be an important sign that the tumor is growing. Fatigue can occur early in certain types of cancer, such as leukemia.

4. Skin changes. Along with skin cancer, some other forms of cancer can cause visible changes skin in the form of darkening of the skin (hyperpigmentation), yellowing (jaundice), redness (erythema), itching and excessive hair growth.

5. Pain. Pain can be an early sign of several tumors, such as those of the bones or testis. Most often, pain due to cancer means that the tumor has already metastasized.

SPECIFIC SIGNS OF CANCER

Along with the general signs, there are some other general signs that you should look out for that may indicate cancer:

· stool or function disorders Bladder;

· non-healing wound or ulcer;

· white spots in the mouth, or white spots on the tongue;

· unusual bleeding or discharge;

· thickening or induration in the chest or other parts of the body;

· indigestion or difficulty swallowing;

· changes in a wart, mole, or any new skin changes;

· irritating prolonged cough or hoarseness.

However, these symptoms can also occur with other diseases, so only a doctor in a specialized medical institution can make a correct diagnosis.

Healthy lifestyle tips to help you prevent cancer:

1. Principles of preventive (anti-cancer) nutrition:

· limiting alcohol consumption;

· limiting the consumption of smoked food, it contains a significant amount of carcinogens, nitrites (nitrites are used to color sausages);

· reduction in consumption of red meat (up to 2 times a week) and fat, tk. fats contain carcinogens;

· the use of vegetable fiber contained in whole grains of cereals, vegetables, fruits. Products that have a preventive effect on cancer:

- Vegetables containing carotene (carrots, tomatoes, radishes, etc.).

- Vegetables containing vitamin "C" (citrus, kiwi, etc.).

- Cabbage (broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts).

- Whole grain cereals.

- Garlic .

2. Stop smoking. It has been scientifically proven that the inhalation of tobacco smoke increases the risk of malignant tumors.

3. Regular physical activity prevents the development of many types of cancer. Just 30 minutes of moderate exercise every day can help reduce cancer risk by 30-50%.

4 . Lose excess weight. Obesity is associated with about 14% of cancer deaths and more than 3% of new cases of malignant tumors annually.

Information about cancer and its prevention

will help you apply this knowledge and protect yourself from cancer.

Material prepared
editorial and publishing department

GBUZ JSC "CMP" - 2016

CHAPTER 4. PREVENTION OF ONCOLOGICAL DISEASES OF THE FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD STAGES

CHAPTER 4. PREVENTION OF ONCOLOGICAL DISEASES OF THE FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD STAGES

In our country and around the world, more and more attention is paid to the prevention of cancer. Prevention in oncology - a system of measures aimed at preventing the occurrence of malignant tumors and their progression. Modern civilization consistently and inexorably violates the ecological balance that has developed on our planet, the technogenic introduction into these processes is truly catastrophic.

Various types of radiation, a huge amount of carcinogens contained in the air, and in drinking water, and in food constantly have their destructive, namely carcinogenic effect. Carcinogenic substances are very diverse from simple (like carbon tetrachloride - CCl 4) to complex polycyclic heterocyclic compounds (methylcholanthrene or benzanthracene). Their effect is based on the stimulation of the reproduction of progenitor cells. Based on the information we know about carcinogenic factors, appropriate measures are being developed and implemented to eliminate provocateurs of malignant growth both in the external and internal environment. The basic principles of prevention are embedded in a healthy lifestyle for every person.

The most developed prevention of tumors developing from epithelial tissues. To a lesser extent, it is possible to judge the prevention of the development of tumors from the melanogenic system (avoid insolation, injury, especially congenital nevi). There is even less information about the prevention of sarcomas, it is only known that in some cases they develop in rough post-traumatic scars or immediately after an injury. More often it is impossible to establish the connection of their occurrence with any circumstance.

The study and analysis of statistical data made it possible to assess the role of the image in most cases of epithelial tumors.

life, habits and environmental factors as they arise, develop prevention measures in specific regions and internationally. All preventive measures are aimed at preventing the development of excessive proliferations with atypia of the epithelium, which often appear against the background of chronic inflammatory processes or hormonal hyperplasia.

Prevention of the carcinogenic effects of external and internal factors, normalization of nutrition and lifestyle, increasing the body's resistance to harmful factors is included in the concept primary prevention of cancer. This concept means, on the one hand, extensive health-improving measures on a national scale. The main sources of pollution of atmospheric air, soil, water basins are enterprises of the metallurgical, coke-chemical, oil refining, chemical, pulp and paper industries, as well as transport.

Under the influence of radiation, malignant tumors can occur in all organs, but the highest risk is the development of hemoblastoses, lesions of the skin, bones, lung, mammary and thyroid glands, salivary glands, and ovaries. The use of personal protective equipment in hazardous industries significantly reduces the incidence of malignant tumors.

Primary prevention of cancer involves the closure of hazardous industries. The planning and construction of modern industries should be controlled, provide for the processing of toxic products into harmless ones, waste disposal, construction of treatment facilities that protect against contamination by harmful environmental products. The improvement of the ecology of our country requires a rational planning of cities, residential and public buildings. Good aeration in them saves a person from contact with carcinogens. Prevention of tumors should include measures of legislative control over the maximum permissible concentrations of harmful effects (chemical, mechanical, radioactive, microwave, etc.). To prevent their harmful effects on the person in contact with them at work and at home. Provision should be made for appropriate measures for the rational protection of workers in hazardous industries. For example, wood dust and the use of paint products lead to the development of cancer of the nasal mucosa in woodworkers.

industry. Occupational factors often cause tumors of those localizations, which are characterized by direct contact with carcinogenic factors. All measures that exclude the impact of these factors on a person are the prerogative of the state.

On the other hand, every person should know that by observing the elementary norms of a healthy lifestyle, he prevents the development of malignant neoplasms in himself. For the organs of the oral cavity and pharynx, as well as the mucous membrane of the upper respiratory and digestive systems, it has been established that tobacco and alcohol are the leading risk factors in the development of cancer. Appropriate explanatory work should be carried out everywhere. Information for the public should contain basic information about personal prevention of malignant tumors of different localization, about the symptoms that a tumor manifests itself in the initial stages of the disease, about self-examination options for the timely recognition of the most common tumors, etc. This information is placed on “silent information” stands in polyclinics, published in scientific and educational journals and brochures, distributed in the form of leaflets. The necessary information can also be presented in the form of lectures on the local radio or for the organized population.

For almost every localization of cancer, precancerous conditions are known. In this regard, in relation to a significant number of precancers, and consequently, malignant tumors, appropriate preventive measures are known. Thus, the basis for the prevention of lung cancer is the struggle for the purity of the inhaled air and the activation of lung self-purification processes. It is necessary to promote smoking cessation, recommend sports, systematic physical activity in the fresh air. For the prevention of cancer of the gastrointestinal tract, it is necessary to observe the rules of food and oral hygiene. For the prevention of breast cancer, it is necessary to refuse abortions and the uncontrolled use of hormonal contraceptives. Long-term, normal breastfeeding is very important. It is necessary to master the methods of self-examination for the most common oncological diseases. Immunization to prevent infection with oncogenic types of human papillomavirus is also a primary prevention strategy for cervical cancer.

Preventive measures for cancers of the upper gastrointestinal tract (esophagus and stomach) are well known. Often, cancer of this localization is preceded by esophagitis and gastritis, as well as gastric ulcer, which is provoked by excesses in nutrition: overeating, eating at night, dry eating, drinking strong alcohol in large quantities. Irregular meals should also be excluded, the oral cavity should be sanitized in time, etc.

Vitamins play an important role in the prevention and treatment of cancer. The lack of fat-soluble vitamins often accompanies the development of precancerous pathology. In some cases, intensive vitamin therapy is the main component of the treatment of precancerous diseases. Especially often for this purpose, preparations of fat-soluble vitamins are used, which play a huge role in the differentiation of epithelial cells.

Vitamin A (beta-carotene) is able to increase the body's resistance to malignant growth by stimulating immunological reactions, including the mechanisms of cellular immunity. Of particular value is its regulatory influence on the processes of differentiation of epithelial tissue. Vitamin A (retinol) plays an important role in the processes of differentiation of tissues of the integumentary epithelium: skin, mucous membranes, it is responsible for the condition of the skin appendages - hair and nails. The participation of vitamin A in the maturation (differentiation) of the cell has been proven. Retinoids - derivatives of vitamin A (otherwise transretinoic acid, tretioin) - are involved in the regulation of cell proliferation and differentiation.

Once in the body, vitamin A in the liver is completely converted into transretinoic acid. In turn, it later turns into several subtypes of retinoic acids that bind to retinoid receptors. Then they are delivered to the cell nucleus and their appearance in the nucleus ensures the regulation of differentiation and maturation signals. The lack of retinoids leads to disruption of the processes of maturation and natural cell death - apoptosis, which leads to the accumulation of immature cells. Beta-carotene is used by the body as an antioxidant and is converted into vitamin A in the body. Beta-carotene is believed to protect the skin from sun damage. There have been suggestions to use it as a prophylactic to prevent the malignancy of precancerous processes.

It is known that with a cancerous tumor, the concentration of vitamin A in the blood decreases.

Vitamin E is widely used in oncological practice in the form of sea buckthorn oil, rosehip oil, both topically and orally. Its active participation in the processes of differentiation of epithelial cells is important in curbing tumor growth.

The variety of actions of vitamin C is well known. For oncology, the property of vitamin C is especially important to increase the body's resistance to infection and certain poisons, normalize the processes of hemocoagulation and capillary permeability, and stimulate hematopoiesis. Indications for the appointment of vitamin C may be malnutrition, manifestations of hemorrhagic diathesis, bleeding, anemia, radiation and cytostatic therapy, tumor intoxication and other conditions, intercurrent infection requiring strengthening of protective mechanisms.

The combination of vitamins A, C, E is very effective in fighting free radicals. Recall that free radicals are extremely aggressive compounds that are constantly formed in each of us as a result of metabolic processes, and in cancer patients there are especially many of them. Other vitamins are also widely used, it should only be taken into account that vitamin D - (ergocalciferol) is contraindicated in hypercalcemia. Along with vitamins, cofactors of redox enzyme systems should also be administered: cocarboxylase, nicotinamide, active forms of vitamins B 1 and PP, adenosine triphosphoric acid. They also enhance the positive effect of enhanced nutrition, increase the absorption of its nitrogenous components. Of the water-soluble vitamins, healthy skin, hair and nails, as well as teeth and gums are supported by riboflavin (vitamin B 2) and pyridoxine (vitamin B 6). This vitamin is needed in a significantly higher daily dose by smokers, people who drink excessive alcohol, and those who take estrogen-based contraceptives. And there are many such patients among patients with precancerous pathology.

At the end of the 80s. of the last century, it was revealed that it is the combination of vitamins A, C and E that is the most important oxidant for human health. Some free radicals are formed during the oxidation process, when an energy-releasing reaction occurs in cells with the participation of oxygen. A small amount of free radicals is needed to fight bacteria.

riyami and viruses, however, large amounts of free radicals in the body are extremely harmful. Free radicals are formed to a large extent under the influence of pollutants such as tobacco smoke, ultraviolet solar radiation. Vitamins A, C, E are able to neutralize these particles before they can damage the cells of the body. Antioxidants bind free radicals. A significant proportion of tumors arise without a noticeable connection with any carcinogenic effect.

In addition, there are a number of trace elements that help fight free radicals. The first line of defense against free radical damage is through a group of enzymes that contain metal ions: Mg (manganese), Cu (copper), Zn (zinc), Se (selenium) - metalloproteinases. Their formation occurs with the participation of these vitamins. If vitamin deficiency is a consequence of impaired absorption and digestion of the gastrointestinal tract, then the inclusion of vitamin preparations in complex treatment is absolutely necessary.

A large role in the development of gastric cancer has recently been given to inflammatory changes accompanying infection of the stomach with a specific flora - Helicobacter pylori. This flora often accompanies the development of gastric ulcer, which is the most common precancerous pathology of this organ. Are important in the development of stomach cancer and dietary habits. In countries where a lot of cereals (rice, corn, bread) are consumed, the incidence of stomach cancer is increased. Improper culinary processing of food products, excessive consumption of canned and spicy food increases the content of blastomogenic factors in it and deprives food products of vitamins. Predisposing factors in the development of colon cancer are chronic colitis, accompanied by constipation. The abuse of fatty, easily digestible food contributes to the retention of endogenous blastomogenic substances on the intestinal mucosa.

Compliance with the rules of personal hygiene and timely treatment of chronic gynecological diseases are the prevention of cervical cancer. Numerous births with rupture of the cervix, promiscuous and early sexual life also contribute to the development of malignant tumors of the female genital organs.

Preventive measures are also known for cancer of the male genitourinary system. The development of cancer of the penis contributes to the stagnation of smegma in the preputial sac, the carcinogenic properties of which have been proven in the experiment. Phimosis contributes to smegma stagnation, therefore, observance of elementary rules of hygiene, regular toilet, especially when the foreskin is narrowed, are the main measures to prevent cancer of this localization. Bladder cancer quite often develops against the background of congestion in it, in which contact with aniline dyes is especially dangerous. Congestion provokes prolonged contact with these or other carcinogens, so appropriate preventive measures should be taken.

Normalization of body weight is one of the important factors in the prevention of most malignant tumors, since obesity and physical inactivity actively contribute to the development of cancer, reducing immunity and activating DNA damage. Nearly half of all uterine and esophageal cancers in women are associated with obesity and overweight. Overweight is associated with kidney, prostate, pancreatic, ovarian, leukemia, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, breast and bladder cancer. The risk of breast and bladder cancer increases only in menopausal women. It is recommended to limit fried, smoked, nitrite-containing foods as sources of carcinogens.

Individual cancer prevention for each person consists in knowing and following practical recommendations in order to reduce oncological risk. Being aware of signs or symptoms that may be related to cancer is important. Signs and symptoms that are not entirely specific to cancer should not be ignored, but should serve as a warning to the person to consult and seek advice from a physician.

These are individual preventive measures for the most common human cancers, i.e. refusal of bad habits and rational nutrition reduce, and in some cases eliminate the risk of tumors. From the above measures for the prevention of malignant tumors, it follows that such primary prevention is based on personal hygiene, reducing contact with carcinogens, promoting the normal function of organs and systems of the human body, increasing immune

protection. Cancer is a long multi-stage process. It is known that it takes 5-10 years before a tumor of the lung, stomach or mammary gland reaches the size of 1-1.5 cm in diameter. Most tumors are laid in 25-40 years, and sometimes in childhood, so cancer prevention should be started as early as possible.

To secondary cancer prevention includes a number of measures in the presence of already developed excessive cell growths with atypia of the epithelium and formed precancerous conditions. From patients suffering from precancerous diseases, high-risk groups are formed, which is a promising direction in multifaceted medical cancer prevention. For this, multipurpose screening programs have been developed. In terms of secondary prevention activities, monitoring of risk groups, detection and treatment of precancerous diseases and early diagnosis of cancer are carried out.

Screening refers to the use various methods studies that allow diagnosing a tumor at an early stage, when there are no symptoms of the disease yet. The purpose of screening is early active detection of asymptomatic cancer and its treatment. Screening must be distinguished from early diagnosis. Early diagnosis is the identification of a disease in individuals who, when they have symptoms of the disease, themselves seek medical help. Cancer screening programs should be conducted taking into account their appropriateness for those forms of cancer that are an important public health problem in a country or region due to their high incidence and mortality.

In Russia, screening for cancer of the lung, breast, stomach, colon, and cervix is ​​considered appropriate, as the incidence and mortality from these types of cancer remains high. Screening for breast cancer includes a mammogram. Colon cancer is detected by an occult blood test. To detect cervical cancer, a cytological examination of a smear from the surface of the cervix is ​​​​used. Currently, population-based cytological screening is an ideal model for secondary prevention of cervical cancer: cytological examination of cervical smears is performed in all those who come to the clinic for the first time this year. As a result of this event, the detection of early forms of this disease has significantly increased.

The effectiveness of one or another screening method can be judged on the basis of a decrease in the frequency of detection of common forms of tumors of this type and an increase in the frequency of early forms. The most significant reduction in mortality and improvement in cancer survival was in the region where screening was performed compared to regions where screening was not performed. At present, the criteria for identifying certain categories of the population as high-risk groups for a particular oncological disease have not yet been finally determined for many diseases. At the same time, clinical practice shows that the correct treatment of conditions defined as precancerous saves a person from the potential for cancer. In these groups, dispensary observation is carried out until the fact of curing the precancerous disease is established. This significantly improves the quality of preventive examinations, makes it possible to effectively use instrumental methods of examination (fluoroscopy, radiography, endoscopy with biopsy, etc.), to carry out a directed search for a pathological process, and ensures continuity in the diagnosis and treatment of patients. When conducting mass preventive examinations, the possibilities of diagnostic methods, their simplicity and economic costs are taken into account.

The third stage of prevention cancer is to prevent the progression of a malignant tumor that has already arisen (generalization, relapse) through the timely application of rational methods of treatment, as well as qualified examination and special examination of persons who have received a full course of primary treatment and are observed without obvious signs of recurrence and metastases, who are under dispensary observation . This also includes the prevention of new cases of tumor diseases in cured cancer patients. Typically, these activities are carried out in specialized clinical or polyclinic units.

Thus, the system of cancer prevention includes measures to combat bad habits, to identify and treat patients with precancerous diseases; those. identification and examination of "high-risk" groups, environmental protection, rational anti-cancer propaganda. There are two approaches to reduce cancer mortality: reducing the number

new cases through primary prevention and increased cure and survival rates for those who already have cancer through early diagnosis and rational therapy. “However, it is better to carry out disease prevention than its treatment” (Davydov M.I., 2007). More appropriate than mass examinations is currently considered to be the development of questionnaires that are filled in by the examined patients, in order to conduct a more detailed examination if alarming symptoms characteristic of a disease are detected. We study certain features of the lifestyle of the population that could affect the development of the most common tumors in the region, and if such factors are identified, the main emphasis is on promoting relevant knowledge among the population.

Scrupulous statistics every year captures the rapidly increasing incidence of cancer. Neither financial well-being, nor high position, nor extensive connections protect against a serious illness. However, by following some simple rules, you can prevent an insidious disease or identify it at the stage when you can successfully get rid of it.

Some unified approved system of cancer prevention (protection against cancer) has not yet been developed. But there are proven carcinogens - provocateurs of cancer, the elimination of which can reduce the likelihood of its occurrence. Therefore, early preventive measures can be considered:

• nutrition correction;
• to give up smoking;
• reasonable stay in the sun or in a solarium;
• timely preventive examination and examination by specialists;
• refusal to self-medicate.

Particular attention should be paid to their implementation by people whose close relatives have had cancer, are ill with it or have died from it.

Power correction

Fiber speeds up the passage of food through the intestines, minimizing the contact of its wall with potential carcinogens.

No definite association of certain foods with cancer has yet been found. But to protect against the possible development of cancer, you must first of all exclude from your diet those dishes and foods whose components are recognized as potential carcinogens. They are:

• fried foods (especially fish and meat), because during frying, harmful phenols, cresols and indoles are formed from food proteins, which can increase the risk of kidney cancer by 60%;
• meat and fish smoked products due to the appearance of carcinogens in them - polycyclic hydrocarbons (benzpyrene, etc.);
• foods rich in animal saturated fats (an excess of these substances is associated with a high risk of colon, mammary glands, kidneys);
• excessive calories, because excess energy value can provoke the occurrence of tumors of the intestines, prostate, uterus;
• alcohol (its components and derivatives inhibit the process of neutralizing carcinogens in the liver, reduce the antitumor ability of the immune system, lead to hormonal imbalance in women, leading to breast cancer, and are a direct hepatic carcinogen);
• salt with its daily use of more than 12 g, then it increases the likelihood of cancer of the esophagus and stomach;
• nitrates, which in the human body turn into nitrites, and they are transformed into carcinogenic nitroso compounds.

Along with this, you should actively include in your diet foods that contain factors that can block or eliminate carcinogens. These "saviors" are:

• fiber, because it speeds up the transit of food through the intestine, reducing the duration of its contact with potential carcinogens, and promotes the production of butyrate by intestinal bacteria, which neutralizes harmful agents (it is abundant in legumes, popcorn, many vegetables, cereals, berries, algae and fruits) ;
• antioxidants: vitamin A, carotenoids, tocopherol, selenium, ascorbic acid, blocking free radicals (found in tomatoes, green beans, asparagus, cantaloupe, carrots, green onions, pumpkin, spinach, broccoli);
• iodine, since it is associated with neoplasms of the thyroid gland (kelp and other algae are considered a source of iodine);
• gluconosolates, which reduce the risk of cancer of any localization (contained in horseradish, various varieties of cabbage, mustard, turnip, swede, radish);
• polyphenols that can reduce the risk of esophageal cancer (found in legumes and green tea);
• docosahexaenoic and eicosapentaenoic acids (they are rich in seafood, fish and meat of marine animals).

To give up smoking

Nicotine and components of tobacco smoke (there are more than 60 of them) are recognized as provocateurs of the development of lung cancer. Moreover, a direct association was found between the number of cigarettes smoked by a person and the experience of a smoker with the likelihood of developing lung cancer. Even passive smokers are considered a risk group, since the incidence of lung cancer in relatives of cigarette lovers is twice as high as in ordinary people.

In addition, smoking is directly related to cancer of the uterus, bronchi, larynx, oral cavity, bladder, esophagus.

Reasonable insolation

Unfortunately, a fashionable tan is not always associated with attractiveness and health. Excessive exposure to ultraviolet radiation (both natural and artificial) on the skin can cause transformations of its cells, the result of which will be. Prolonged lying on the beach or frequent trips to the solarium are especially dangerous for fair-skinned people and those whose family history is aggravated by skin cancer. When traveling to hot resorts, it is better to sunbathe under awnings in the morning or evening hours.

Timely preventive examination and examination by specialists

Each of us should be attentive to our health and regularly (once every six months or a year) undergo preventive examinations and examination by a specialist.

On the basis of their long-term observations, oncologists have developed entire programs of examinations of various organs (X-ray, endoscopic, ultrasound, radioisotope, laboratory, etc.), aimed at the timely detection of oncological processes in the population. Indeed, with early detection, these insidious diseases are quite successfully treated.

Some of them are for all people. So, all adult women (even in the absence of any symptoms) need to regularly visit a gynecologist and once a year to conduct a Papanicolaou test (smear examination).

And to everyone reasonable person who has reached the age of 45 should annually determine the hidden blood in the stool. If it is present, a more thorough endoscopic examination of the intestine is necessary. In the presence of burdened heredity, regulated examinations are carried out 5 years earlier.

If the patient has precancerous diseases or changes in the mucous membranes (, metaplasia), then he should visit a doctor and be examined even more often.

Tests for oncomarkers, proteins produced by tumors, also have some diagnostic value. Most often they are determined in the blood, although tumor pyruvate kinase, indicating a possible tumor growth in the digestive tract, is examined in feces. There are tumor markers specific for certain types and locations of cancer. For example, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is elevated in cancer that affects the prostate, and alpha-fetoprotein has been linked to liver cancer. However, they can also increase with benign tumors, and with autoimmune or infectious processes, and with cysts.

Refusal of self-medication

Unfortunately, the growing mistrust and fear of doctors often leads to treatment by outright charlatans or self-medication, the source of which is increasingly the Internet. And this is not always a safe event. Some dietary supplements contain dubious ingredients or components that stimulate the activity and growth of all cells (including tumor cells).

Even well-known drugs (hormonal agents, vitamins) or therapeutic methods (hyperbaric oxygen therapy) in illiterate hands can provoke the activation of a dormant cancerous tumor. Therefore, in case of any doubts and fears (justified or far-fetched), it is better to visit a qualified specialist.

Which doctor to contact

Malignant neoplasms are treated by oncologists. However, more often people with early signs diseases or patients wishing to receive advice on cancer prevention, turn to specialized specialists: urologist, nephrologist, gastroenterologist, gynecologist, mammologist, hepatologist, endocrinologist, pulmonologist, dermatologist. Each of these doctors has a so-called oncological alertness, therefore, when a patient complains, they are obliged to anticipate the possibility of cancer, exclude it during the diagnosis and talk about its prevention.

Bespalov V.G., doctor of medical sciences, oncologist, doctor of rehabilitation medicine

Federal State Institution Research Institute of Oncology. N.N. Petrova Rosmedtekhnologii, St. Petersburg

The article presents modern ideas about the nature of malignant tumors and their prevention. Practical recommendations for cancer prevention are given. The article is written in popular science language and is intended for a wide range of readers.

In Russia, there is an increase in cancer incidence. 469195 new cases registered in 2005 cancer, the incidence rate per 100 thousand of the population was 330.5, an increase over a 10-year period - 17.4%. Mortality from malignant tumors in Russia is not decreasing. In 2005, 285,402 people died of cancer; the death rate was 200.6 per 100,000 population, over 10 years this indicator has not changed significantly. The cumulative risk of getting cancer in our country today is 22.7%, that is, according to statistics, more than every 5th Russian will get cancer during his life if the situation does not start to change for the better. At the same time, in a number of economically developed countries, morbidity and mortality from many forms of cancer have been declining in recent years, which has been achieved through the active use of evidence-based measures for the prevention of malignant tumors.

Cancer is considered one of the diseases of civilization. Scientific, technical and industrial progress has significantly improved living conditions and increased its average duration, made infectious and many other diseases less terrible in their consequences, but at the same time has changed the human environment and lifestyle so much that previously not so significant diseases have become massive. In addition to cancer, the diseases of civilization include most of the cardiovascular diseases: atherosclerosis and related coronary heart disease, peripheral and cerebral circulation disorders, myocardial infarction and cerebral stroke, hypertension; as well as diabetes type 2 or diabetes mellitus in the elderly; polyarthrosis, osteochondrosis of the spine, osteoporosis; eye cataract; allergies, immunodeficiencies, etc. Civilization diseases have a number of common causes and risk factors.

In modern scientific and practical medicine, everything greater value acquires prevention. Scientists around the world recognize that only the widespread use of scientifically based measures to prevent diseases of civilization will help humanity cope with this scourge. Cancer lies dormant in each of us. It's just that not everyone lives to see the disease manifest itself. Currently, there are only two ways to reliably combat malignant tumors: prevention and early diagnosis, which allows you to "freeze" cancer for many years or successfully cure it.

Many causes and contributing factors that have a long-term effect on the body can lead to the development of a malignant tumor. According to experts, up to 80% of these causes and risk factors can be eliminated. Therefore, theoretically, 80% of cancer cases can be prevented, but cancer prevention should be comprehensive, multilateral and long-term. Modern oncological science has developed and offers a number of recommendations for prevention of malignant tumors. This article provides a summary of basic information about malignant tumors and personal protective measures against them, which can serve as a popular guide to individual cancer prevention. Many of the practical recommendations given in the article are not narrowly focused on cancer prevention, but relate to all the diseases of civilization. Of course, each of these diseases has its own characteristics and specifics in the prevention system. But, in general, following the practical recommendations outlined in the article will help improve your health and reduce the risk of diseases of civilization, which include cancer.

^

1. Nature and causes of cancer

Under the concept of cancer, more than 200 different types of tumors are united, similar in nature. Tumors are found in almost all organs and tissues. Depending on the tissue origin, malignant tumors are divided into 3 main groups: cancer itself, originating from epithelial (integumentary) cells of various organs; sarcomas growing from the connective tissue of muscles, bones, internal organs, and systemic tumors originating from hematopoietic and lymphatic tissue.

What makes the cell go down the cancer path? It all starts with the stage of initiation of the tumor process, which consists in the damage to the cell genome by various carcinogens - cancer-causing agents. It can be chemicals, physical radiation or viruses. Chemical and physical harmful agents damage the genetic apparatus of the cell, primarily DNA molecules. If the protective mechanisms of the cell and the body do not eliminate the damage to the genome induced by carcinogens, then the tumor process develops further, the stage of promotion of the tumor process begins, which in humans can last for years and decades. It is also known that a number of chemical, physical or infectious agents may not themselves cause malignant degeneration of the cell, but promote or accelerate the development of a malignant tumor. Such agents are referred to as cancer promoters. At the promotion stage, so-called oncogenes are activated - genes that enable and ensure malignant degeneration of the cell, and inactivation of suppressor genes - genes that suppress the tumor process; as a result, the processes of cell maturation and division are disrupted, clones of genetically damaged cells are selected, and precancerous changes occur in tissues. Again, in case of insufficiency of the protective mechanisms of the cell, the immune system, a clone of genetically modified cells degenerates into a malignant tumor, after which the stage of progression of the tumor process begins. At the stage of progression, the doctor detects a malignant tumor. Cancer is a long multi-stage process. It has been proven, for example, that it takes 5-10 years or more before a tumor of the lung, stomach, and mammary gland reaches a size of 1-1.5 cm in diameter. And the processes of initiation and promotion begin even earlier. Thus, the majority of tumors are laid in 25-40 years, and in some cases in childhood. Ideally, cancer prevention should begin in early childhood.

Cancer is now defined as an acquired or congenital genetic disease. In the long process of malignant transformation, the genetic apparatus of the cell breaks down several times, cancer is sometimes called the disease of several mutations. It was found that in every normal cell there are special genes that can turn a normal cell into a cancer one. Accordingly, these genes have been designated as oncogenes or "cancer" genes. More than 100 different oncogenes have been identified and characterized in humans to date. Most oncogenes in a normal cell of an adult organism do not function or exist in the form of proto-oncogenes that are involved in the processes of cell division. The awakening of oncogenes to life causes malignant degeneration of the cell and the transfer of malignant properties during cell reproduction. Oncogenes produce specific oncoproteins, which cause cancer cells to continuously divide. In a normal cell, anti-oncogenes or tumor-suppressing genes were also found, the main task of which is to block the work of oncogenes or start the process of self-destruction of cells that have degenerated into malignant cells.

Thus, each cell contains a potential predisposition to malignant transformation in the form of "dormant" oncogenes. There are many reasons to wake them up. Cancer is called a polyetiological disease, which means that it is caused by a variety of factors. The founder of Russian oncology, Professor N.N. Petrov wrote: "Tumours are the result of a proliferative dystrophic reaction of the body to various non-lethal harmful factors, external or internal, congenital or acquired."

Today, science knows hundreds of causes that can cause a malignant tumor. English scientists R. Doll and R. Pito calculated the proportion of various factors that cause cancer. The main role belongs to nutrition - dietary factors among the causes of cancer account for 30-35%, and smoking - 30-32% of cancer cases are due to tobacco smoking. Infectious agents, primarily viruses, cause 10% of malignant tumors; sexual factors - 7%; industrial carcinogens - 4%; alcohol - 3%; direct contamination environment- 2%; oncologically burdened heredity - 2%; food additives, solar ultraviolet and ionizing radiation - 1% each; and finally, 5% of cancers are due to unknown causes. Approximately the same proportion of causes of death from malignant tumors is given by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Of course, it is impossible to consider each of these factors in isolation from each other, everything is decided by their complex combination. During life, a person can be affected simultaneously by all of the above, as well as other harmful factors. In each case, it is difficult to say with complete certainty what caused the patient's cancer. But in general, today it is clear that about 80% of cancer cases are associated with the wrong lifestyle and exposure to harmful environmental factors. Cancer is a retribution for unjustly lived youth and maturity. The medieval Dutch philosopher Erasmus of Rotterdam wrote: "What we sin in youth, we have to atone for in old age." Find a person who is not sinful in relation to his health. We frivolously put our health at risk every day: due to ignorance of the principles of prevention; because of laziness and being busy with more important things, in our opinion; in the hope that everything will work out without consequences.

Modern oncology has powerful methods of surgical, radiation and drug treatment of cancer, which in some cases, especially in the early stages, can be successful. If 60 years ago about 5% of patients were cured of cancer, now, in general, more than 30%. With some cancers today, most patients are completely cured. However, in oncology, the axiom of medicine is especially relevant: "It is easier to prevent a disease than to treat it." The process of malignant cell transformation at the stages of initiation, promotion and even early stages of progression is reversible, which allows us to consider cancer prevention real and effective.

In preventive oncology, primary cancer prevention: normalization of nutrition and lifestyle, the fight against smoking, prevention of exposure to carcinogens, increasing the body's resistance to harmful factors in practically healthy people; secondary prevention: detection and treatment of precancerous diseases, monitoring of high-risk cancer groups, early diagnosis of cancer; and tertiary prevention: prevention of recurrence and metastasis in patients with malignant tumors, as well as prevention of new cases of malignant tumors in cured cancer patients. There are also sanitary and hygienic cancer prevention aimed at protecting the environment from pollution by carcinogenic substances; dietary cancer prevention- development and application of dietary recommendations aimed at reducing the risk of cancer; medical or clinical cancer prevention- a set of anti-cancer control measures carried out by health professionals in order to reduce the incidence and mortality from malignant tumors; cancer chemoprophylaxis- development and application of special medicines and natural remedies that reduce cancer risk. Allocate a common cancer prevention related to oncological diseases in general, and private prevention - special recommendations for the prevention of cancer of individual localizations. The concept of individual cancer prevention as a set of knowledge and practical recommendations that a specific person who wants to reduce individual oncological risk needs to know and follow.

^

2. Nutrition and cancer. Dietary prevention of malignant tumors

dietary prevention of malignant tumors is the most effective way of anti-cancer fight. Scientists have developed dietary guidelines for cancer prevention, which consist of a restrictive and expanding part.

Restrictions

Eat predominantly organic foods, completely eliminate moldy foods, eliminate or significantly reduce the consumption of smoked foods.

Use tap water for drinking and cooking only after it has been further purified with household filters, as well as spring, bottled, environmentally friendly drinking and low-mineralized water.

Cut down on fried foods, high-cooked protein foods, canned, pickled, and salty foods, and foods with added sodium nitrite. When cooking, do not fry foods, but rather boil and stew, cook protein foods in a gentle heat regime. Try to limit cooking in deep fryers, grills, pressure cookers; Widely use the microwave oven, Teflon-coated pans. Avoid excessively hot food and drink.

Give up alcohol or at least drink it in an amount of no more than 20 g of pure alcohol per day (a glass of vodka, a glass of dry wine or a bottle of beer).

Eat in moderation, maintain normal weight body. Reduce your daily calorie intake during normal physical activity to 2000-2500 calories. For obese people - get rid of excess weight.

Reduce fat intake to 20-25% of the total caloric intake, with normal physical activity, eat no more than 50-70 g of fat per day with all products. Use low-fat products more widely.

Strive for limited consumption of animal products, periodically fasting days and weeks of religious fasting type, which is especially important for people of older and older age groups.

^ Enlargement and expansion

Diversify your menu as much as possible.

Every day, at least 5 times a day, eat fruits, vegetables and other plant foods, juices; vary them widely.

Eat more foods that contain natural anti-carcinogenic substances: yellow-green and orange vegetables and fruits, citrus fruits, cruciferous vegetables, berries, green leafy vegetables, legumes, garlic and onions, tea, dried fruits, dairy products, seaweed and other seafood.

Increase your fiber intake to 35 grams per day with whole grains or bran cereals.

Supplement your diet with the use of biologically active food supplements containing natural anti-carcinogenic substances.

A number of nutrients have been found to be able to prevent the malignant transformation of cells, that is, to exhibit anticarcinogenic activity. These anti-carcinogenic nutrients neutralize carcinogens and remove them from the body, restore the genetic apparatus of the cell damaged by carcinogens and suppress the work of oncogenes, destroy degenerate cells, stimulate the immune system and other defense mechanisms. Table 1 the anticarcinogenic substances of food products, the physiological daily requirement for these substances and their main food sources are given.

Table 1. Natural anticarcinogenic substances and products containing them

^ Anti-carcinogenic substances	Adequate intake per day	food sources
Dietary fibers: cellulose, hemicelluloses, lignin, pectin, carrageenans, alginates	20 g	Bran cereals, legumes, cabbage, fruits and vegetables
Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids	1 g	Fish oil, fish, seafood, linseed oil
Organic acids: fumaric, malic, succinic, etc.	500 mg	Berries, citrus fruits, honey, rhubarb, asparagus
Phytosterols: beta-sitosterol, beta-sitosterol-D-glycoside, stigmasterol	20-300 mg	Soybeans, legumes, carrots, figs, coriander, tomatoes, rose hips
Beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, lycopene, lutein and other carotenoids	15 mg	Carrots, pumpkin, greens, tomatoes, apricots, sea buckthorn, mountain ash
Vitamin A (retinol and its esters)	1 mg (3300 IU)	Liver, fish oil, eggs, butter, milk
Vitamin E (tocopherols, tocotrienols and their esters)	15 mg	Vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, fish oil
Vitamin D	2.5 mcg (100 IU)	Fish oil, eggs, liver, butter
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid, its salts and esters, dehydroascorbic acid)	70 mg	Berries, fruits, vegetables
Vitamin B 2 (riboflavin)	2 mg	Dairy products, eggs, grain products, fish
Vitamin B 3 (PP, nicotinic acid)	20 mg	Cereals, legumes, fish
Vitamin B 6 (pyridoxine)	2 mg	Cereals, legumes, nuts, fish
Vitamin B 9 (folic acid)	400 mcg	Legumes, greens, nuts, grapes, lemons, liver
Potassium	2500 mg	Bran cereals, dried fruits, nuts, potatoes, bananas, legumes
Calcium	1250 mg	Dairy products, greens, nuts, legumes
Magnesium	400 mg	Nuts, seeds, cereal bran, cereals, legumes, raisins
Zinc	12 mg	Liver, seafood, cereal bran, cheese, eggs, legumes
Iodine	150 mcg	Seaweed, sea ​​fish and other seafood
Selenium	70 mcg	Cereal bran, grains, garlic, seafood, organ meats
Manganese	2 mg	Nuts, cereal bran, cocoa, tea, coffee, legumes
Copper	1 mg	Liver, seafood, cereal bran, nuts, cocoa
Chlorophyll	100 mg	Green leafy vegetables, seaweed
Polyphenolic compounds: flavonols, dihydroflavonols, proanthocyanidins, flavolignans, isoflavones	85 mg	Berries, citrus and other fruits, legumes, nuts, coffee, cocoa, red peppers, apples, carrots, beets, tea, red wine
Glucosinolates: isothiocyanates, indole-3-carbinol, sinigrin, brassinine	50 mg	Cruciferous vegetables: cabbage, turnip, radish, swede, radish
Methylxanthines: caffeine, theobromine, theophylline	35-50 mg	Tea, coffee, cocoa
Betulin	40 mg	Persimmon, hyssop
Curcumin	10 mg	Turmeric
Glycyrrhizic acid	10 mg	Licorice as a flavoring
Monoterpene compounds: limonene, aurapten, carveol	5 mg	Citrus fruits, dill, celery, cumin, cardamom
Sulfur compounds: diallyl sulfide, allyl sulfide, allicin	4 mg	Garlic, onion, wild garlic
Peptide Compounds - Protease Inhibitors	not determined	Soy and other legumes
Lignans	not determined	Bran of cereals, legumes, vegetable oils, berries and fruits, red and white wine

^

3. Smoking and cancer

In Russia today more than 60% of men and 20% of women smoke. Per one Russian, 1,800 cigarettes are smoked per year. Over the past 10 years, the number of smokers in Russia has increased by 14%. Until now, about 40% of doctors in Russia smoke. And the order of the Ministry of Health, which prohibits medical personnel from smoking in medical institutions, is almost not observed. In comparison, virtually all American physicians are non-smokers; professional ethics and fear of losing patients who do not go to a smoking doctor forbids smoking. Tobacco giants, losing their positions in the US and Western Europe, are turning their attention to Russia and third world countries. In industrialized countries, about $200 billion is spent annually on the treatment of diseases caused by smoking. There is no such money in Russia, so the fate of the victims of tobacco producers is more sad.

Smokers develop lung cancer on average 10 times more often than non-smokers. Smoking can also cause cancer of the mouth, pharynx, larynx, nasal cavity, esophagus, stomach, pancreas, gallbladder, bladder, kidneys, and cervix. In smokers, the risk of developing malignant tumors of the above organs is increased by 2-15 times compared to non-smokers. Passive smoking or the inhalation of air polluted with tobacco smoke contributes to the development of diseases in non-smokers that are characteristic of smokers.

As Mark Twain said: "There are several recipes for resisting temptations, but the best is cowardice." Never start smoking out of curiosity, for educational purposes, following the example of relatives or people who are authoritative for you, under the pressure of friends or any other motives, for example, in order to lose weight. This is especially true for adolescents and young people, because it has been noticed that if a person has not taken a cigarette in his mouth by the age of 18-20, then he has a lower chance of doing so later. Remember that smoking is a drug, it is easy to get involved in this dangerous activity, and then very difficult to quit. Do not comfort yourself with the thought that you do not smoke, but only "indulge". By analogy with alcoholism, most people who drink seriously do not consider themselves as such.

Women should be aware that smoking suppresses the production of female sex hormones that make a woman attractive to the opposite sex. Smoking changes the complexion for the worse, accelerates the formation of skin wrinkles. A woman who smokes looks 5-10 years older. Smoking interferes with a woman's reproductive function. One of the basic natural needs of a woman is to be beautiful and to please men. Only for the sake of this need a woman should not start smoking.

Avoid passive smoking at home, at work, in in public places. Remember that tobacco smoke contains very strong carcinogens.

If you are a smoker, it is most prudent to quit smoking as early as possible. Even if you stop smoking later than middle age, life expectancy will increase, and if you do it up to 35, the prospects are about the same as for non-smokers.

One of the most effective and seemingly simplest ways cancer prevention is to stop smoking. The right should be guided by the straightforward appeal of V.V. Mayakovsky: "Let's quit smoking - poison in a cigarette." However, experts say that in our country, 6 out of 10 smokers want to quit smoking, but cannot, and the success of doctors' interventions does not exceed 15%.

If you smoke, then it is better to smoke more expensive cigarettes with a low tar and nicotine content, filter cigarettes, do it outside your home and work area, without exposing both others and yourself to passive exposure to tobacco smoke. Recently, special filter mouthpieces have appeared on the market, containing biofilters with hemoglobin, chlorophyll and other active ingredients that trap 50-80% of harmful substances in tobacco smoke. A special powdered filter-flavoring agent has been developed, which is applied to the tip of a cigarette before smoking, and dramatically reduces the intake of harmful tar and nicotine into the body. These biofilters are quite expensive, but it should be borne in mind that the treatment of cancer is even more expensive.

In my practice, there were patients with many years of smoking experience, who claimed that they were not able to quit smoking, and yet abruptly and permanently quit smoking after being admitted to a cardiological or oncological clinic with a diagnosis of myocardial infarction or cancer. Try to imagine such a situation, it will probably be easier for you to quit smoking. Remember that people who quit smoking live longer; a smoker who quits his bad habit reduces the risk of dying from diseases caused by smoking over the next 15 years.

Try to stop smoking by counting the material losses. If you smoke 1 pack of cigarettes a day, start smoking at the age of 20 and live to be 70 years old, then you will spend approximately 20 thousand US dollars on the purchase of cigarettes. With this money you can buy several domestic cars. In addition, you will probably have to spend money on the treatment of diseases caused by smoking.

If you have made a firm decision to quit smoking, but you are not succeeding, contact specialized centers or smoking cessation specialists. There are such doctors in our country. There are many programs to stop smoking. You may be offered psychological support, psychological counseling, psychotherapy, hypnotherapy. Herbal supplements or supplements to help you quit smoking may be helpful. Finally, nicotine replacement drugs have been developed and sold in pharmacies for a long time - patches, tablets, chewing gums, lozenges containing nicotine. They supply the body with nicotine, a light drug, but cannot cause cancer. Gradually reducing the dose of nicotine replacement drugs, you can achieve complete relief from nicotine addiction. Such treatment should be prescribed by a doctor.

If you smoke or have smoked in the past, then know that you belong to a group of increased cancer risk, all practical recommendations for cancer prevention.

^ About the benefits of smoking

In fairness, it should be noted that smoking also has positive properties, including in the oncological aspect. Smoking can have a positive effect on mental activity, which is manifested by the activation of thought processes, better processing of information, and improved memory. Smoking has an anti-stress effect during emotional overstrain. Smoking reduces the risk of getting Alzheimer's disease, which is simply called senile insanity; and Parkinson's disease, which manifests itself in constant trembling of the limbs and head. Tobacco nicotine has a therapeutic effect in schizophrenia. Smoking contributes to weight loss. Previously, it was said that tobacco smoke acts as an antiestrogen, that is, it inhibits the production of female sex hormones. This has a positive effect on diseases that occur against the background of their excess. In women who smoke, the risk of fibroids and cancer of the uterine body, as well as breast cancer, is slightly reduced. Smoking reduces the risk of colon cancer in patients with ulcerative colitis. There is nothing absolutely harmful or absolutely useful. We need to weigh the positives and negatives. With regard to smoking, its harm is many times greater than beneficial features. Although some doctors advise starting smoking at the age of 70 in order to prevent Alzheimer's disease. There is a healthy grain in this, because before the development of cancer, you need to smoke for 20-30 years. However, all the same, you first need to live up to 70 years and not die prematurely from the harmful effects of smoking.

^

4. Environment, housing and cancer prevention

Chemical substances

We live in an ocean of natural and artificial chemical substances. More than 18 million chemical compounds are registered in the database of chemists today, and more than 60 thousand are widely used in various spheres of life and are constantly used by people. The effects of most of these chemicals on humans have not been studied. For example, out of more than 100,000 chemicals emitted by industrial enterprises into the environment, only 1,300 are known to have the nature of their effect on the human body. The International Agency for Research on Cancer has registered carcinogenic properties for about a thousand substances, and for almost 60 individual compounds used in everyday life, industry, medicine and agriculture, as well as production conditions, an unconditional carcinogenic hazard to humans has been proven. Chemical carcinogens enter the human body with atmospheric air, food, and water. The main sources of atmospheric air pollution are smoke emissions from industrial enterprises, car exhaust gases, combustion products of thermal power plants. The air is also polluted by industrial and domestic waste dumps, dry cleaners, gas stations, car service enterprises, etc.

Cancer can be an occupational disease. AT table 2 the main productions, the carcinogenic hazard of which for humans has been clearly proven, are given.

^ Table 2. Occupational hazards that cause cancer

Production	Carcinogens	^ Localization of cancer
Coal gasification	Polycyclic hydrocarbons (PAHs)	Skin, bladder, lungs
Coke production	PAHs, aromatic amines, phenols	Lungs, skin, bladder, kidneys
Iron and steel smelting	PAH, formalin, phenol, chromium, nickel, cadmium	Lungs, stomach, kidneys, prostate
Underground mining of iron ore	Radon, silicon dust	Lungs
Asbestos mining and processing	Asbestos	Lungs, pleura, stomach
Nickel cleaning	Nickel	nasal cavity
aluminum industry	PAH, pitch, crystalline silicon, fluorine compounds	Lungs, pancreas, leukemias, lymphomas
rubber industry	PAHs, carbon blacks, mineral oils, benzene, nitrosamines	Bladder, leukemia, lungs, brain
Tailoring and shoe repair	Benzene, chlorohydrocarbons, chromium	Nasal cavity, bladder, leukemia
Production of isopropyl alcohol	Isopropyl alcohol and strong acids	nasal cavity
Petrochemical, construction, printing houses, detergents, etc.	Aerosols of sulfuric acid	Larynx, lungs
Production of paints and dyes	Halogenated hydrocarbons, aromatic amines, polychlorinated biphenyls, arsenic, chromium	bladder, lungs
Woodworking and furniture production	wood dust	nasal cavity, lungs

In addition to the workers of these enterprises, road workers, traffic police officers, drivers, painters, dry cleaners, garbage collectors, workers in chemical, textile and pharmaceutical industries, etc. are exposed to carcinogens. Agricultural workers can come into contact with pesticides and other carcinogenic agrochemicals. Gasoline contains about 2% benzene, which can cause leukemia, contact with gasoline vapors is an occupational carcinogenic hazard. Approximately 50 Russian cities operate chemical industry enterprises, in the production processes of which dioxins are formed - highly toxic substances containing chlorine. Very small doses of dioxins have been proven to cause cancer.

A person is constantly exposed to the so-called "housing" carcinogens, which release plastic materials, foam insulation materials, synthetic wallpaper and carpets, chipboard furniture, upholstered furniture with foam rubber, household chemicals, asbestos coatings. Granite and other building materials emit radioactive radon gas. The materials used in the so-called "European renovation" emit formaldehyde, phenol, benzene, xylene, heavy metals and other toxins into the air. According to experts, the concentration of harmful chemicals in the premises after renovation exceeds the maximum allowable concentrations by dozens of times.

In every production with occupational carcinogenic hazards, there is a safety procedure, the observance of which is mandatory. Workers in such industries should be informed about the existing hazards and methods of personal protection, and enjoy appropriate benefits. Production workers exposed to occupational carcinogens belong to the group of increased oncological risk and should pay more attention to individual measures. cancer prevention.

If you choose your own housing, then try to ensure that your house is not located near industrial enterprises and major highways polluting the atmosphere, domestic and industrial dumps, so that the windows of the apartment overlook the courtyard.

If your home is in a polluted area, install air conditioners on the windows.

Check if there are asbestos-containing materials in your apartment: insulation on pipes, electrical wiring, stoves, household appliances. If the insulation is damaged and crumbling, it should be removed. Cover asbestos materials with a protective layer of paint.

Check the radon content in the air in your home. To this end, you can apply for help to the bodies of the State Sanitary and Epidemiological Supervision. Up to 10% of dwellings have elevated concentrations of radon in the air. Sometimes the source of radon release can be eliminated by filling cracks in foundations, walls, or floors.

Do not decorate your apartment with plastic materials, foam insulation materials, do not use synthetic carpets. According to the laws of electrostatics, synthetic wallpaper can accumulate radioactive dust. If funds allow, do not purchase furniture made of chipboard. Such furniture will release considerable concentrations of toxic substances into the air for several decades. Buy natural wood furniture. Use household chemicals in your home as little as possible. Do not abuse deodorants, fresheners, aerosols, cleaners and detergents etc.

Do not turn your apartment into a warehouse for fuels and lubricants, gardening supplies, building and household chemicals. Buy what you need right before use and use right away. Do not accumulate empty plastic and other containers, old newspapers in your house. Throw away plastic bottles immediately after using their contents, do not reuse plastic containers.

Thoroughly air out clothes and other dry-cleaned items. Cleaning chemicals such as gasoline, toluene, perchlor-, trichlor- and tetrachlorethylene cause malignant tumors in animals and presumably in humans.

When working with toxic products, when you paint or varnish doors and windows, spray cockroach control sprays, etc., wear a protective mask. After work, leave the room and ventilate it thoroughly.

Monitor the serviceability of the gas stove, stoves, fireplaces and other heating appliances. Install an air purifier with special filters that absorb harmful substances above the kitchen gas stove. Various modifications of such household air cleaners are commercially available.

Maintain moderate temperature and humidity levels in your living quarters. According to hygienic standards, the air temperature in the living room should not be lower than 18 ° and not higher than 24 ° C, and relative humidity - 60-70%.

Use a vacuum cleaner and a damp cloth more often to thoroughly clean floors, furniture, and carpets. Remember that radioactive and toxic chemicals accumulate on dust particles. The most reliable method of cleaning rooms is wet cleaning, the more often the better.

Indoor plants favorably affect the air of dwellings - they are part of wildlife. The air in nature is purified not only by plants, but also by ionization. There is no ionization cleaning process in the premises. It can be recommended to use artificial air ionizers, for example, the Chizhevsky chandelier and its modifications.

Every day, regardless of the time of year, ventilate the living quarters. It is important to ensure a constant flow of fresh air into the premises. Do not carefully caulk all the cracks on the windows until they are completely airtight. Weather permitting, keep windows open at all times. Take care of cross-ventilation. In case of severe indoor air pollution, install forced supply and exhaust ventilation. Keep the ventilation devices in your home in good working order. Hygienists recommend that within an hour a change of half the volume of air should take place in the room, i.e. per day - 12 times. Remember that daily ventilation of premises is a simple and effective measure to prevent the harmful effects of "housing" carcinogens on humans.

^ Physical radiation

From physical radiation, cancer can be caused by ionizing radiation, ultraviolet and weak electromagnetic radiation from household appliances. Modern people most often encounter ionizing radiation during X-ray medical examinations and the consumption of products contaminated with radioactive isotopes. Environmental pollution is possible as a result of accidents at nuclear power plants and other nuclear facilities. For example, in children living in contaminated areas after the disaster at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, the incidence of thyroid cancer increased 50 times.

Much more often, a person is exposed to the harmful effects of ultraviolet rays, which cause all types of skin cancer: squamous cell, basalioma and melanoma.

Recently, the harmful effects of weak electromagnetic radiation on human health have been actively discussed in the scientific literature and the media. There was such a thing as "magnetic smog". Indeed, we are surrounded by many sources of electromagnetic radiation: power lines, home wiring, computers, televisions, refrigerators, microwave ovens, electric stoves, video displays, cordless telephones, stereos, hair dryers, electric shavers, electric blankets, electric drills, luminous advertising, etc. These benefits Civilizations emit electromagnetic waves that are millions of times higher than the level of the natural geomagnetic field of the Earth. American doctors were the first to worry, discovering that children living in homes near high-voltage power lines are 2 times more likely to develop leukemia. Subsequently, the relationship between exposure to electromagnetic radiation and the development of cancer in humans has been repeatedly confirmed. In Australia, it has been found that children living in areas around TV towers are 2.5 times more likely to die from leukemia. Radar and telecommunications workers were more likely to get sick with leukemia. One study found that men who used electric shavers were 1.3 times more likely to develop leukemia compared to men who used shaving blades. There have been reports of the development of brain tumors in individuals who frequently use radiotelephones. In some experimental studies, it has been established that electromagnetic radiation from household appliances causes malignant tumors in laboratory animals, in others these data have not been confirmed. Although the causal role of weak electromagnetic radiation in the development of cancer in humans is not considered indisputably proven, precautions should be taken when working with them.

Nowadays, a source of ionizing radiation can be found in a landfill, at a construction site, etc., such cases are described; do not pick up unfamiliar objects and do not bring them into the house. Get X-ray examinations only as directed by your doctor. Before undergoing an X-ray examination, make sure it is necessary. Save x-rays. Instead of prescribing new examinations, sometimes the doctor may use old pictures. Make sure that the reproductive organs and other parts of the body are covered with a protective screen when undergoing an X-ray examination. Discuss with your doctor the possibilities of using diagnostic methods without ionizing radiation, such as ultrasound and nuclear magnetic resonance, instead of an x-ray examination.

Don't sunbathe for more than 30 minutes a week. If you're the type with lightly pigmented skin, freckles, and red hair, then don't expose your skin to direct sunlight at all. When in direct sunlight, use umbrellas, hats, sunglasses, sunscreen. Do not sunbathe from 12 to 15 noon. Do not visit solariums, in all likelihood, they do more harm than good.

Observe safety measures when working with equipment that emits electromagnetic waves. In a computer, the main danger is the electromagnetic field created by the monitor. Buy computers with low-emissivity monitors, use monitor shields, it is better to use grounded shields. Do not work on the computer for more than 2 hours without a break. Hygienists believe that the total duration of work at a computer for an adult should not exceed 5 hours a day, for schoolchildren - 30 minutes, children preschool age- 10 minutes. The distance from the user's eyes to the monitor screen should be at least 50 cm, optimally - 60-70 cm. be at least 6 square meters. Keep a distance of 1.5 meters or more from a working TV, microwave oven, refrigerator, electric heater and other household appliances. Remove working appliances from the bedroom or turn them off at night. During sleep, a person is more sensitive to electromagnetic radiation. Ventilate the premises after working with a computer, watching TV, the operation of these devices adversely affects the ionic composition of the air.

^ Oncogenic viruses

Viruses play a special role in the causes of cancer, as people still raise the question of the contagiousness of cancer. Direct evidence of the role of viruses in causing cancer in humans has long been absent. It has now been proven that viruses are responsible for at least 10% of human malignant tumors. In these cases, the cancer can be transmitted as a contagious disease. Cancer-causing virus genes are nothing more than oncogenes. Once in a cell of a human body, the virus inserts its genes into the genetic apparatus of the host cell, as a result, the cell can undergo malignant transformation and lead to the development of a cancerous tumor. In humans, hepatitis B and C viruses can cause liver cancer; papillomaviruses - cervical cancer; herpes viruses and the AIDS virus - lymphomas and tumors of various organs.

Thus, in the above cases, cancer can also be infected. But, as a rule, many years must pass from the moment of infection with an oncogenic virus to the appearance of a tumor. In general, numerous observations indicate that the main types of malignant tumors are not transmitted directly from person to person. Contacts with cancer patients do not lead to the development of malignant tumors in relatives and medical personnel.

In most cases, infection with human oncogenic viruses is not enough to cause cancer. In many people, cells can be infected with some oncogenic viruses for decades, but only a small proportion of infected people develop a malignant tumor. Fortunately, all dangerous oncogenic viruses known today are transmitted through blood or sexual contact. If oncogenic viruses were transmitted like an influenza virus by airborne droplets, then their contribution to cancer incidence would be many times higher.

Risk groups for infection with oncogenic viruses are prostitutes, homosexuals, people with a promiscuous sex life and a large number of sexual partners; drug addicts using non-sterile syringes; patients who have undergone frequent blood transfusions; spouses of people infected with oncogenic viruses; medical personnel who, by the nature of their work, come into contact with blood, medical instruments, infected patients. If you are at risk, then get tested in special medical institutions for possible infection with the hepatitis B and C virus, papillomavirus in the tissues of the cervix and the AIDS virus. Modern medicine has reliable methods for diagnosing the infection of the body with the above viruses.

If you are a spouse or family member of a person infected with the hepatitis B virus, or for other reasons belong to the above risk group, then you can get vaccinated against the hepatitis B virus. In our country, such a vaccination is not mandatory and is done, most often, on commercial terms in special medical institutions that do this in many large cities. One dose of the vaccine costs approximately $8, and the vaccination course consists of three doses.

Remember that oncogenic viruses are transmitted through blood, semen and female vaginal secretions. Therefore, they are most often infected through sexual contact, through dirty syringes, blood transfusions, through instruments from a dentist, gynecologist and other doctors using invasive methods of diagnosis and treatment.

Avoid casual sex, do not have promiscuous sex. In the case of sexual contact with a casual sexual partner, be sure to use condoms that are sufficiently reliable to protect against viral infection, although not 100%.

To exclude medical contamination, contact dental and other medical institutions only with the necessary licenses, qualified personnel and work experience. Use only disposable syringes and droppers for intravenous transfusion of solutions. If the clinic or hospital where you are being treated does not have enough disposable syringes and droppers, purchase them yourself. They are quite cheap and are available in almost all pharmacies. In the world, more than 12 billion injections are performed annually for medical reasons, this is the most common medical procedure. In developed countries, only disposable syringes, droppers, sheets, towels and a number of other items of medical instruments and equipment are used today. In our country, this is far from the case.

Do not use other people's toothbrushes, toothpicks, manicure sets, razor blades, handkerchiefs and towels, do not wear other people's earrings. All of these items may contain particles of infected blood that will enter your body. Cases of such infection, both with the hepatitis virus and with the AIDS virus, are described. This is especially true for hepatitis B and C, which is therefore called a family disease. The family often shares the above items, and the carriage of one of the family members of the hepatitis virus, the rest may not suspect.

Do not pierce your ears for earrings and other body parts for today's fashionable piercing, do not get tattoos on your skin in dubious companies or with the help of dubious people. These firms and professional artists are not medically licensed and do not properly sterilize their instruments; there are already many known cases of infection of people with the help of these instruments with AIDS and hepatitis viruses.

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5. The internal environment of the body, lifestyle and cancer prevention

It is believed that human health depends on genes by 20%, on lifestyle - by 50%, on the environment (geography, climate, ecology) - by 20%, and on the quality and accessibility of the healthcare system - by 10%. Thus, the genes that we inherited from our parents, and how we behave in everyday life, determine our health by 70%. Diet and smoking are the main lifestyle factors that determine the risk of malignant tumors. But there are a number of other factors of the internal environment of the body and lifestyle that affect cancer incidence and mortality. Gender, hereditary predisposition, immune status, physical activity, sexual and reproductive factors, stress, depression, work, sleep and rest, age and aging affect the risk of malignant tumors.

If your blood relatives had cancer, then you have an increased risk of cancer, but in most cases there is no fatal heritability of cancer. If you have reason to suspect the hereditary nature of cancer in your family, contact a medical genetic counseling.

If you often suffer from colds and infectious diseases, have chronic diseases, undergo an examination of the state of the immune system, if necessary, undergo treatment that restores the activity of the immune system.

Exercise daily for 50-60 minutes a day, but not less than 30 minutes 3 times a week.

The frequency of malignant tumors of different localizations depends on gender. Women should take more care cancer prevention breast and genital organs, men - about the prevention of cancer of the lung and stomach. From a young age, a woman needs to competently build her sexual and reproductive behavior. Optimal, taking into account medical and social conditions, are the first childbirth at 20-22 years old, two or three pregnancies and childbirth during the reproductive age, breastfeeding a child for at least a year, careful protection in order to exclude abortions. Choose with your gynecologist the method of protection that is right for you. The most effective and safe are modern hormonal contraceptives. For women at the age of menopause, the use of hormone replacement therapy is justified, which increases the risk of developing hormone-dependent tumors, but at the same time reduces the risk of developing no less dangerous, but more frequent cardiovascular diseases and osteoporosis. For men, marriage and regular sex life have a beneficial effect on health.

Strive to reduce the harmful effects on the body of stress reactions, especially long-term chronic stress. The fight against stress is helped by switching to activities that are pleasant for you, physical exercises, having sex, special mental relaxation exercises, meditation, music, art, religion. Do not relieve stress with alcohol and cigarettes, harmful effects of which are incomparably higher. If you have manifestations of borderline depression, chronic fatigue syndrome, consult a doctor, undergo the necessary treatment. Resist the destructive effect of negative emotions.

Maintain an optimal level of labor activity throughout your life, try to do the work that brings you satisfaction and joy. Education and intellectual activity have a beneficial effect on health, try to increase your level of education, load your brain with intellectual activities. Maintain a normal work and rest schedule. Do not reduce the duration of sleep, a man should sleep 7-8 hours a day, a woman - 8-9, children - even more. Know how to rest and relax, switching to communication with nature, people, animals, art. Remember that new experiences have a beneficial effect on health. They increase the level of health and reduce the risk of cancer by regularly visiting a bath with a steam room, tempering procedures with cold water.

If you are 45 years of age or older, you are in the high-risk age group for cancer. From this age, it is necessary to pay more attention to maintaining one's health and individual measures. cancer prevention.

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6. Clinical prevention and early diagnosis of cancer. Features of the prevention of malignant tumors of the main localizations

Groups of increased oncological risk

Since cancer occurs among different population groups far from evenly, it is possible to distinguish groups of increased oncological risk. These groups include smokers; people in contact with carcinogens at work, living in ecologically unfavorable regions, affected by accidents at nuclear industry enterprises, living in regions with an increased incidence of cancer in certain localizations; senior and elderly people; people with burdened oncological heredity; patients suffering from chronic diseases, hormonal changes and metabolic disorders that contribute to the development of tumors; patients with precancerous diseases; cancer patients after special treatment. Groups of increased oncological risk are divided into 5 categories according to the degree of increased risk.

1. Practically healthy people of any age with burdened oncological heredity and people over 45 years old.

2. Practically healthy people who have been exposed in the past and are exposed to carcinogenic factors: smokers, people with occupational and domestic carcinogenic hazards, exposed to ionizing radiation, infected with oncogenic viruses.

3. People suffering from chronic diseases and disorders that increase cancer risk, such as atherosclerosis, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, obesity, immune suppression, menstrual irregularities, etc.

4. Patients with precancerous diseases. Most malignant tumors develop against the background of long-term precancerous diseases. Each localization of cancer has its own precancerous diseases. For example, for stomach cancer, this is chronic atrophic gastritis, colon cancer - glandular polyps, esophagus - chronic atrophic esophagitis, oral cavity - leukoplakia, cervical dysplasia, uterine body - glandular hyperplasia, etc. Precancerous diseases are divided into obligate, in which cancer occurs necessarily, and optional, in which only increases the likelihood of cancer. Most often, facultative precancerous diseases occur.

5. Cancer patients who have undergone radical treatment for a malignant tumor. As already mentioned, today doctors completely cure more than 30% of cancer patients, and even more in some localizations of cancer. The contingents of cured cancer patients are the most serious group of increased cancer risk, since, according to observations, they develop new malignant tumors in more than 30% of cases.

It is estimated that for every cancer patient living in any area, there are approximately 10 people from high-risk cancer groups. At the end of 2006, 2,466,276 cancer patients, 1.7% of the country's population, were registered with oncological institutions in Russia. This means that about 25 million people are in groups of increased oncological risk, and, first of all, new contingents of oncological patients are formed from these people. Respectively, cancer prevention will be most effective if the main efforts are directed to patients from high-risk groups for developing cancer. My medical and scientific experience shows that, unfortunately, in our country, work with patients from high oncological risk groups is carried out extremely poorly. For example, patients with precancerous diseases in oncological institutions are not put on dispensary records, there is not enough time, effort and money. In the general medical network, these patients are also not treated, they believe that this is the business of oncologists. The difficult situation of modern domestic medicine, a sharp decrease in funding have led to the fact that, first of all, prevention has suffered: the positive experience gained in previous years of mass medical examinations has been lost, the system of fluorographic examination of the healthy population has worsened, cytological screening of women for cervical pathology, etc. All this further increases the need for individual cancer prevention. "The salvation of the drowning is the work of the drowning themselves," as Russian classics I. Ilf and E. Petrov wrote.

^ Early detection of cancer

In medicine, there is the concept of oncological alertness, which implies the need for examination of any patient, first of all, to exclude the possibility of cancer. This provision does not apply only to physicians. A person who cares about his health should subject himself to self-control, and if suspicious symptoms appear, consult a doctor without delay. This is the first step towards early cancer detection and cure. Cancer is curable in the early stages. Doctors identify the following possible symptoms of cancer.

^ Warning symptoms of cancer

Changes in stool or urination.

Long-term non-healing ulcers or wounds.

Unusual bleeding or discharge from the rectum, urine, nose, mouth, vagina.

The appearance of a node, thickening in the mammary glands or somewhere else: under the skin, in the area of ​​the lymph nodes.

The appearance of digestive disorders and difficulty swallowing.

Obvious changes in skin growths or nevi (moles).

Persistent cough or hoarseness.

If you have the above symptoms, you should consult a doctor and conduct the necessary examinations. It is not at all necessary that a malignant tumor is hidden behind these symptoms, but in oncology it is always better to play it safe.

In medicine, some mass diagnostic procedures are widely used, which make it possible to detect cancer of various organs at an early stage. Periodic such examinations are recommended for older and older people, people from high oncological risk groups.

Mammography (x-ray examination of the mammary glands) for women over 40-50 years old.

Fluorography (X-ray examination) chest for smokers and occupational carcinogenic hazards, such as exposure to asbestos.

Cytological examination of cervical smears of women from 20 years of age.

Examination of the rectum with a finger to detect tumors of the rectum and prostate.

A blood test for prostate-specific antigen to detect prostate tumors.

To conduct the above examinations, it is necessary to be observed by specialist doctors, the frequency of examinations is determined by the doctor.

If you fall into one of the above groups of increased oncological risk, then it is mandatory for you to regularly see an oncologist, conduct periodic examinations and actively apply all measures for individual cancer prevention. If you suffer from precancerous diseases of any organ, then you should seek their cure.

Taking care of your health includes constant self-control, if you notice any of the suspicious symptoms described in detail above in your breasts, skin, genitals, internal organs, then you should contact an oncologist without delay. This is the first and most important step towards early detection of cancer, allowing it to be cured and life saved. An analysis of the neglect of malignant tumors revealed three causes that can be eliminated: a late visit to the doctor due to a negligent attitude towards one's health and an increased fear of cancer; low level of medical knowledge among the population and ignorance of the early symptoms of cancer; insufficient oncological alertness among physicians of the general medical network.

Women over 30 years old should learn the technique of self-examination of the breasts and do it monthly, have a breast examination by a specialist mammologist every 3 years between the ages of 20 and 40 years and every year after 40 years old, have regular mammograms and ultrasound examinations of the mammary glands as prescribed by the doctor . After 20 years, women should regularly do smears from the cervix for cytological examination every 1-3 years, treat precancerous and background diseases of the cervix in a timely manner. For the purpose of secondary prevention of cancer of the body of the uterus and ovaries, all women after 40 years of age, and especially women at risk, should be regularly observed by a gynecologist.

If you smoke or are exposed to occupational carcinogens in the air you breathe, you should have an annual chest x-ray to detect early lung cancer.

If you suffer from precancerous diseases of the stomach, you should undergo an annual fibrogastroscopic examination of the stomach. Diagnose for the presence of Helicobacter pylori infection and, if detected, undergo a course of antibacterial treatment.

After the age of 40, with an increased risk of colon cancer, it is recommended to take an annual stool test to detect occult blood, to undergo a digital examination of the rectum by a doctor to detect polyps and cancer. It is recommended to undergo regular endoscopic examination of the colon at least once every 5 years to detect and remove polyps and early diagnosis of cancer.

Men over 50 years of age should undergo an annual digital examination of the rectum by a urologist to detect changes in the prostate gland in a timely manner, it is recommended to donate blood annually for a prostate-specific antigen in order to diagnose cancer of this organ.

For the treatment of a malignant tumor and tertiary cancer prevention, you should only contact specialized oncological institutions and doctors who have special training in the field of oncology. An oncological patient must be registered in an oncological institution all his life, regularly undergo the necessary examinations prescribed by specialists.

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7. Cancer chemoprevention

Chemoprophylaxis of malignant tumors is one of the youngest and most promising sections of preventive oncology. Under cancer chemoprevention understand the reduction of oncological morbidity and mortality through the long-term use of special oncological prophylactic drugs or natural remedies healthy people or persons from high-risk cancer groups.

If we turn to history, the problem of chemoprophylaxis has been of concern to mankind since ancient times, people have always tried to find elixirs of youth, health, beauty, and even immortality. In ancient sources from different countries, various remedies are reported that were taken to prevent old age and related diseases, to prolong life expectancy. Basically, extracts from medicinal plants and animal raw materials, minerals were used. And it must be assumed that people had certain successes in this field. It is known that Chinese doctors of the past centuries widely used prophylactic agents in their practice, and they received money for their work when the client was healthy, and when he fell ill, they treated him for free. There are legends about the ancient Taoists, who, with the help of special physical and breathing exercises, meditations, and the use of mysterious elixirs, achieved the preservation of youth and an extremely high life expectancy.

Taking prophylactic drugs in order to maintain health seems to be the psychologically easiest way. There is no need to constantly think about the numerous harmful environmental conditions, force yourself to lead a healthy lifestyle, exercise, limit your diet to the most delicious fatty foods, deprive yourself of such pleasures as smoking and alcoholic beverages. Take regular prophylactic pills, enjoy the "harmful things of life" and save time and energy for more interesting things. Man is by nature lazy and seeks the easiest ways to achieve his goal. And this, to a certain extent, is good, because laziness is a protective reaction and protects us from overexertion. And the conveniences of civilization appeared as products of a person's desire to make his life easier. But for now, taking prophylactic drugs as a substitute for all other arduous health measures is a dream. Chemoprophylaxis is one of the areas of preventive medicine and should be used in combination with other preventive measures.

Practical use cancer chemoprevention and other diseases of civilization is just beginning. It will take several more decades until science finally proves the effectiveness and harmlessness of prophylactic agents. For most people alive today, it will be too late. Therefore, we have an individual choice: to use the preventive means now offered or to wait for the final decision of scientists. My opinion is that medicine already has an arsenal of oncoprophylactic agents, and their use will be more beneficial to health than expected.

Convenient means for cancer chemoprevention are biologically active food supplements (BAA). The concept of dietary supplements arose in science and medical practice in the early 90s of the last century. In a relatively short period of time, many dietary supplements have appeared on sale; a large number of works have been published in the scientific literature on the properties and clinical use of specific dietary supplements. However, the attitude towards dietary supplements on the part of doctors and scientists remains ambiguous, sometimes one has to deal with extremely negative statements about dietary supplements. This is bewildering. Insufficient knowledge of individual dietary supplements, scientifically unfounded attribution of any therapeutic and prophylactic properties to them, falsification of popular dietary supplements, medical illiteracy of distributors, false advertising cannot be grounds for denying dietary supplements as a phenomenon. In the modern world, in recent years, the consumption of dietary supplements has become increasingly popular as part of a healthy lifestyle and disease prevention. According to experts, dietary supplements are regularly taken in Japan by 90% of the population, in the USA - about 80%, in developed European countries - 50-60%, in Russia - only 10%.

Of course, it is impossible to directly link the decline in cancer incidence in the United States and other developed countries with the massive use of dietary supplements, and the increase in cancer incidence in Russia with the absence of such a practice among the majority of the population. But still, there is undoubtedly a certain correlation between regular intake of dietary supplements and the risk of malignant tumors. A number of epidemiological studies have found that people who regularly use certain dietary supplements have a reduced oncological risk. For example, consumers of multivitamins, vitamins A, C, E, folic acid, or calcium have a reduced risk of colon cancer; vitamin C - stomach cancer; multivitamins, vitamin C or vitamin E - breast cancer; vitamins E or C - bladder cancer; zinc, vitamins C or E - prostate cancer.

To funds for cancer chemoprevention There are 4 main requirements: onco-prophylactic action against one or more cancer sites, no or slight toxicity, the possibility of long-term use, additional beneficial effects visible in a shorter time. Dietary supplements potentially meet all of the above requirements. Epidemiological and clinical studies show that for effective cancer prevention Dietary supplements containing anti-carcinogenic substances must be taken for a long time in doses that replenish the full daily requirement of micronutrients, or slightly higher than the recommended daily intake.

Of the Russian dietary supplements, the most famous and studied agent for cancer chemoprophylaxis is dietary supplement " ^ Klamin". Klamin produced according to the original domestic technology from the lipid fraction of the brown seaweed kelp. Active ingredients dietary supplements Klamin": organic iodine, dietary fiber, omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and chlorophyll. It was previously said that all these active ingredients are dietary supplements" Klamin"have anti-carcinogenic (onco-prophylactic) activity. In epidemiological studies, it was found that a deficiency of iodine, dietary fiber, polyunsaturated fatty acids of the omega-3 type and chlorophyll in the diet increases the risk of cancer of the breast, prostate, thyroid, colon, skin and other organs. Iodine deficiency in the diet also contributes to the development of hypothyroidism, obesity, mastopathy - conditions that increase cancer risk.

Studied anti-carcinogenic activity of dietary supplements " Klamin"on models of the most common human tumors of various organs induced by chemical carcinogens in laboratory animals. Klamin effectively inhibited the development of tumors of various localizations: breast, colon, esophagus, cervix and vagina, lungs, skin.

At the Research Institute of Oncology. N.N. Petrov Rosmedtekhnologii and other oncological clinics revealed that dietary supplements " Klamin"has a beneficial effect in patients with precancerous diseases and diseases that increase oncological risk, such as atrophic gastritis, chronic smoker's bronchitis, mastopathy, colon polyps, oral leukoplakia, chronic ulcerative esophagitis, obesity, menstrual disorders. Based on the results of the study of dietary supplements " Klamin"in oncology, methodological recommendations were developed and approved by the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation. The Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, when considering the implementation of the Concept for the Development of Healthcare and Medical Science, noted dietary supplements" Klamin"as a promising domestic development in oncology, aimed at prevention of malignant tumors.

In clinical studies in dietary supplements " Klamin"Other favorable properties were also found. In endocrinological clinics, a positive effect was revealed klamina in patients with endemic goiter and thyroid diseases. When studying in patients with various forms of mastopathy klamin reduced pathological symptoms and improved the condition of the mammary glands, normalized the menstrual cycle. When studying in clinics of a therapeutic profile, it was revealed that klamin reduces blood cholesterol levels, normalizes lipid metabolism, improves antioxidant status in patients with cardiovascular diseases; has a beneficial effect in patients with chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and lungs; promotes weight loss in the treatment of obesity; improves potency in sexual disorders in men. In patients with influenza and other acute respiratory viral infections klamin improved the state of immunity, reduced the risk of complications.

Based on the results of a clinical study in oncology dietary supplements " Klamin"recommended to take.

^ relatives of cancer patients; smokers, exposure to environmental hazards, ionizing radiation; older and older people; patients with malignant tumors after undergoing special treatment: 1 tablet 3 times a day for a long time or constantly.

To reduce the risk of cancer in patients with precancerous diseases of the breast, gastrointestinal tract, lungs and other organs: 2 tablets 3 times a day for 3-6 months, regularly repeat courses.

Introduction

Oncology is a field of medicine that studies the causes, mechanisms of development and clinical manifestations of tumors, as well as developing methods for their diagnosis, prevention and treatment. Tumors are excessive growths of tissues, consisting of changed cells of the body that have lost their usual form and function. Distinguish between benign and malignant tumors: benign ones grow only pushing apart (and sometimes compressing) the surrounding tissues, while malignant tumors grow into the surrounding tissues and destroy them. In this case, the vessels are damaged, tumor cells can grow into them, which are then carried by the blood or lymph flow throughout the body and can settle in various organs and tissues. As a result, metastases are formed - secondary nodes of tumors, i.e., tumors metastasize. With incomplete removal of the tumor, it grows again (recurs). Benign tumors do not metastasize, but can be dangerous due to their location. An example is a brain tumor that compresses one or another of its departments and thereby disrupts vital functions.
Tumors are composed of parenchyma and stroma. The parenchyma is the tumor's own tissue, which makes up its main mass and determines its growth and character. The stroma consists of the surrounding tumor. connective tissue; the vessels and nerves feeding the tumor pass through it.
The name “tumor” reflects their tissue affiliation: the “oma” particle, that is, the ending of the word “blastoma”, is attached to the name of a particular tissue, for example. O. from cartilage is called chondroblastoma or chondroma, from fibrous connective tissue - fibroma (fibers - fibers), from muscle tissue - myoma, from adipose tissue - lipoma, etc. Some tumors retain special names that have historically been assigned to them. So, a malignant tumor of the connective tissue is called a sarcoma, because when cut, its tissue resembles fish meat (in Greek, “sarkos” means meat). Malignant epithelioma is called carcinoma, cancer, probably due to the fact that the first observations of ancient doctors related to skin or breast cancer, which grew into the surrounding tissues with strands resembling cancer claws. In many countries, following the example of France, the term "cancer" refers to all malignant tumors, regardless of their tissue origin.
Cancer is a group of diseases, each with its own name, its own treatment, and chances of being controlled and cured. In essence, oncological diseases are formed from the fact that a certain cell or group of cells begins to multiply and grow randomly, crowding out normal cells. Cancer can take the form of leukemia, which develops in the bone marrow from white blood cells (leukocytes), or solid tumors found anywhere in the body.
Of course, this diagnosis is not a sentence. Approximately 70% of patients have a chance to recover. With some types of tumors, almost 100% of people recover.
It is often quite difficult to detect an oncological disease, even for an experienced doctor. The sooner the diagnosis is established, the more reliable the favorable prognosis.
Patients with malignant tumors do not pose a danger of infection to others. Cancer is not contagious. It cannot be passed from one person to another like the common cold, or from animal to person.
The vast majority of malignant tumors are not inherited. Although some of them are genetically determined.
Cancer is a group of tumors that grow only from epithelial tissue cells (mucous membranes, skin). Tumors from muscles, bones, cartilage, fatty tissue are called sarcomas. Any malignant tumor has a number of features:
- the ability to autonomous (independent), rapid growth unregulated by the body;
- the ability to metastasize (in the lymphatic and blood vessels);
- Destructive infiltrating growth is noted locally. Cancer occurs under the influence of chemicals, ultraviolet radiation, hormones, viruses, radiation. All these factors are called carcinogenic.
Risk factors for developing cancer include the following:
- chronic stress, negative emotions, depression, which contribute to the occurrence of cancer. The stress hormone is cortisol;
- Smoking is a causative factor in about 30% of all forms of malignant tumors. Although not every smoker develops lung cancer, the incidence is 90%. Passive smokers absorb 2.3 mg of ash in one hour. Smoking increases the incidence of cancer of the larynx, pharynx, and esophagus. Children of smoking fathers and mothers are 4 times more likely to get cancer;
- alcohol consumption contributes to the occurrence of cancer of the esophagus, stomach, colon and rectum. It increases the risk of cancer and cirrhosis of the liver;
- malnutrition. Excessive consumption of foods high in saturated fatty acids (lard, fatty meats, cream, butter) increases the risk of colon, breast, pancreas, ovarian, and rectal cancers. Fat restriction can slow down the development of the tumor process;
- Carcinogens include arsenic, asbestos, heavy metals, PVC. Strong carcinogens are found in car exhaust gases. Lack of vitamins enhances the action of carcinogens.
- abortions and high doses of solar radiation can also lead to a malignant process.
Despite very important and lengthy research, no one knows why children get cancer. Cancer in children is still the most unexplained disease, and there is no reason to believe that it can be prevented. The main factors contributing to the development of malignant tumors in children are impaired intrauterine development, the influence of adverse environmental factors, and some occupational hazards of parents.
A tumor does not always mean cancer. Some tumors (clumps of abnormally growing cells) may be benign (not cancerous). When talking about malignant tumors, the term solid tumor is used to distinguish between localized tissue masses and leukemia.
Treatment Methods
Currently, there are three main ways to treat cancer:
Chemotherapy is a special medicine given by injection or by mouth to children who have, for example, leukemia. They are taken to kill the bad cancer cells and stop them from growing out of control.
Radiotherapy (radiotherapy) uses powerful x-rays to kill cancer cells. It is often used before surgery to make the tumor shrink, and then used to prevent metastases.
Surgery. Sometimes surgery is needed to remove a large tumor, depending on where it is located.
Scientists don't yet know exactly what causes cancer, but the child is by no means to blame for the fact that he got sick, and no bad deed can cause cancer in a child. Cancer in children is quite rare, affecting one in 600 children in the UK. Cancer is much more common in adults. There are certain recommendations, following which, it is possible to reduce the risk of getting cancer.

Risk factors
Food
According to experts, one third of all cancers are caused by malnutrition. This problem has become especially acute in the last few years.
The reason for this is simple - natural products are becoming more expensive. Our diet has changed dramatically in recent years, we are consuming less and less animal proteins, plant foods, meanwhile, the consumption of carbohydrates, animal and synthetic fats is growing. The latter, by the way, are the most dangerous.
As a result, there is a question of excess weight. And it was noticed more than thirty years ago that obese women after 30 years of age are much more likely to suffer from breast and ovarian cancer.
But what to do? Change your diet and at least somehow reduce the risk. First of all, doctors advise to give up smoked meats. Whether it's fish, chicken or pork, it doesn't matter. After all, it is almost impossible to find a product of natural smoking in stores, the production of these products has long been based on intensive technologies with the use of additives, dyes, etc. As a result, what chemical processes occur with the proteins and fats of the subject of such smoking remains a mystery. Indeed, in order to draw a definite conclusion, it is necessary to conduct more than a dozen studies.
Another point is to reduce the consumption of fatty meats and fish, do not eat heavily fried foods, especially with a crust, the most dangerous carcinogens for our body accumulate here. For you, the main cooking method should be boiling, steaming, pressure cooker dishes, baking. This applies not only to meat dishes, but also to vegetables.
Do not think that if you use vegetable oils for frying, you will be safe. There is no difference on what you fry, carcinogens are formed here and there. Do not use synthetic fats, margarine, exclude refined vegetable oils from the diet. There is no exact data yet, but, nevertheless, there are more and more reports that refined oils are not so harmless to the body. Reduce your consumption of bread and flour products. With the help of all these not tricky tricks, you can at least somehow protect your body.
There is also advice for products, carefully read the composition. Remember culinary recipes, use natural seasonings, cook the way our ancestors cooked. BUT recipes, which will allow you to cook a great variety of natural and delicious dishes. By following all these non-tricky requirements, you will not only reduce the risk of getting cancer, but also simply improve your body.

Bad habits and cancer
Alcohol
Oncologists have deduced this kind of regularity: the regular abuse of alcoholic beverages really increases the possibility of cancer. As scary as it sounds, there are no safe levels of alcohol for cancer. In addition, when it comes to female breast cancer.
If a woman often drinks alcohol, smokes, then not only the risk of breast cancer increases, but also cancer of the respiratory tract and esophagus. However, if you drink regularly, but do not exceed the limit of 2 times a week, then the risk indicators are significantly reduced.
Alcohol affects our body in the following ways:
Ethanol radically changes the hormonal system of the body, which contributes to the release of more estrogens, due to which cancer cells develop in the mammary glands.
As a result of drinking excess alcohol, the body begins to release a chemical called acetaldehyde, which, in fact, provokes a hangover. Acetic aldehyde is a carcinogen that is very likely to change the structure of DNA, and such a change is the most common cause of cancer
If a person smokes and drinks alcohol at the same time, then the carcinogens contained in tobacco tar gradually mix with the decay products of alcohol, thereby penetrating deep into the tissues.
It should also be noted that women are more susceptible to liver disease than men. All this is because the female body and its bulk consists of various kinds of fats. While almost all toxins accumulate in the intestines, only a small part of them has time to dissolve.
Of course, the liver must have time to clear toxins, but researchers have proven that acetaldehyde, which is formed as a result of the breakdown of ethanol, weakens the intestinal walls quite strongly, as a result of which most of the toxins enter the general bloodstream. And toxins can cause the cells of the body to mutate.
Scientists are concerned about the general increase in alcohol consumption in the world, which is one of the main reasons for the increase in the number of cancer patients.
Smoking
Smoking causes more than just lung cancer. Many people mistakenly believe that smoking is the only cause of lung cancer. Smoking is directly related to cancer of many other organs, such as the oral cavity, larynx, and stomach.
It is a proven fact that smoking cigarettes, pipes and cigars can lead to cancer of the mouth, esophagus and larynx. It should be noted that drinking alcohol together with smoking increases the risk of developing cancer by several times.
Medical research in the field of lung cancer and cancer risk factors has led to the conclusion that there are a number of factors that are directly related to lung cancer. The most important factor is the number of cigarettes a person smokes per day and how many years a person has been smoking and at what age he started smoking cigarettes.
Statistics show that 1 in 7 people who smoke at least two packs of cigarettes a day die of lung cancer.
Causes of cancerous tumors
Tobacco smoke contains about 4000 harmful substances, chemical compounds and toxins, more than 60 of them are recognized as oncogenic. Cancer is caused by substances contained mostly in the resin. When a smoker inhales smoke, more than 70% of the tar remains in the lungs.
Research has proven that a US-discovered substance now known as benzapyrene, found in the tar of cigarette smoke, damages and slowly destroys a specific gene in the body that controls the growth of cancer cells and prevents the development of a cancerous tumor.
Tumors in other organs, not related to exposure to tobacco smoke, suffer from the formation of tumors caused by the spread of carcinogenic substances in the blood.
Household carcinogens
It has been established that cancer occurs under the influence of: 1) chemicals; 2) ionizing radiation and ultraviolet radiation; 4) viruses; 5) mechanical injuries and many other reasons. All these factors have been called carcinogens. The probability of developing cancer is determined not only by the time and intensity of the action of a carcinogenic agent, but also by the state of the body.
Carcinogens lie in wait for us in food and water, the air of our home or industrial premises can be carcinogenic. Carcinogenic substances that can malignize healthy cells of the body can be found in household chemicals and perfumes. They can be liquid, gaseous, act on us completely invisible, determined only by special equipment, by radiation and fields (ionizing radiation, electromagnetic fields). Surprisingly, even the sun's rays, without which life on Earth is impossible, can have a carcinogenic effect.
What other factors can pose a danger to humans? This is primarily dust that pollutes housing.
Numerous studies have shown that indoor soot and dust are carriers of carcinogens, and dust collected on the street causes malignant tumors in laboratory animals. That is why wet thorough cleaning of the premises is necessary. A gas stove is a particular danger in everyday life. Products of incomplete combustion of gas in the absence of good ventilation pollute indoor air, and tarry products containing benzpyrene accumulate.
Carcinogenic compounds entering the environment enter into a cycle of complex and diverse transformations. They are absorbed and neutralized by certain types of bacteria present in the air, water, soil, and are destroyed by ultraviolet radiation. Human liver cells can also destroy carcinogens, which largely depends on the characteristics of the body and the nature of nutrition.
But to reduce the degree of danger, one should not rely on a favorable combination of natural factors, but it is better to destroy carcinogens and prevent their release into the external environment.
Endogenous carcinogens
It should be noted that, in addition to carcinogens that enter the human body with air, water, food, there are substances that are formed in the body itself and are highly carcinogenic. These are the so-called endogenous carcinogens. At present, it is already possible to speak about the existence of several classes of endogenous carcinogens. These include, in particular, the products of the breakdown and transformation of bile acids, impaired metabolism of tyrosine and tryptophan. The conditions promoting the formation of these compounds have been studied. A special role in this process is played by hypovitaminosis, seasonal lack of ascorbic acid (vitamin C), hormonal imbalance, hereditary disorders of amino acid metabolism. In this case, only long-term metabolic disorders should be taken into account.
Physical carcinogens
Physical carcinogenic factors include alpha, beta, gamma and X-rays, proton and neutron fluxes, ultraviolet radiation, radon, mechanical injuries.
Ionizing radiation has a universal carcinogenic effect, but its significance in human pathology is slightly less than that of chemical carcinogens. The main sources of radiation for the population are the natural background, both terrestrial and space, artificial sources such as nuclear tests in the atmosphere, nuclear accidents, nuclear production, exposure during diagnostic examination and treatment.
Not only the direct action of the rays is carcinogenic, but no less dangerous is the ingress of radioactive isotopes into the body. Once in the body, radium behaves much like calcium: it penetrates the bones and settles firmly there. However, unlike calcium, it destroys bone tissue. Gradually accumulate changes leading to the development of a malignant tumor.
Numerous studies have proven the unconditional carcinogenic principle of ionizing radiation. Ionizing radiation in high doses causes cancer in humans, only a few types of tumors have never been associated with ionizing radiation. The frequency of such malignant tumors increases as the radiation dose increases. High-dose radiation can cause damage to cells and DNA, followed by cell death, and low doses can lead to mutations that increase the risk of cancer. It is likely that not only the hereditary apparatus of the cell, but also the metabolism, is under attack, and then the tumor transformation occurs, as it were, a second time.
Cause some concern and doses of radiation received by the population during the passage of various diagnostic procedures. Such examinations include mammography to detect breast tumors, computed tomography, and radioisotope studies. It should be noted that the total dose during diagnostic studies is small compared to natural radiation, and the advantages are undeniable.
It has been established that inhalation of air containing radon and its products leads to the effects of radioactive radiation, mainly on the cells of the bronchial epithelium. Radon is the second most important cause of lung cancer after smoking. Most human exposure to radon occurs in homes, especially in dusty areas where radon settles on dust particles. The increased radiation background in dwellings is especially dangerous for smokers, their probability of developing a tumor increases by more than 25 times. The main sources of radon are soil, building materials, and groundwater.
Try to check your home with the help of specialists for the presence of radon in the rooms where you live and, if possible, protect yourself.
Solar irradiation.
The idea that the sun's rays can cause cancer seems blasphemous. The sun is the source of life on Earth, and the brown tan of millions of vacationers has long been seen as a sign of health.
The sun's rays are a powerful source of various radiations, among which ultraviolet plays an important role. In small doses, ultraviolet radiation is necessary for the human body, but in large doses it can cause serious diseases and even cause cancer. Hundreds of observations have accumulated showing that solar radiation can cause skin cancer in humans. The relationship between the spread of skin cancer and the intensity and duration of exposure to sunlight can now be considered established.
Typically, tumors occur on parts of the body that are not protected by clothing, in people who are outdoors for a long time, in those areas and countries where the sun shines long and strong. Tumors most often develop on the skin of the face, nose, less often on the hands. It should be emphasized that children, whose skin is particularly vulnerable, are at much greater risk than adults.
To prevent the development of skin cancer, efforts should be made to reduce overall lifetime sun exposure, especially excessive sun exposure and sunburn.
It should be noted that the illiterate use of solariums is unsafe, since in them a person is exposed to UV radiation, similar to the sun.
All of the above does not mean that you need to give up trips to the south, from swimming in the sea, staying on the beach, just from sunbathing. Such restrictions are not needed. We need a reasonable, one might say, respectful attitude towards the sun. Enjoying the sun, warmth, let's remember not only the beneficial, healing effect of the sun's rays, but also the troubles that may arise if they are abused. Cancer patients and people who have undergone treatment for cancer are strongly discouraged from prolonged exposure to the sun.
Electric field
Numerous electromagnetic fields that arise in our apartments during the operation of household appliances, computers, radio telephones and literally penetrating our home are also unsafe. Therefore, the more appliances in the house, the higher the risk, especially with an ill-conceived arrangement of appliances. According to a number of American studies, children living in homes near power lines have a 2.5 times higher risk of developing leukemia. No such pattern was found for the adult population.
Cell phones and remote controls generate electromagnetic fields. The use of mobile communications and its possible negative impact on health is attracting increasing public attention. Reports of an increase in the incidence of brain tumors among mobile phone users, descriptions of such cases in the press suggested the possibility of a certain stimulation of tumor growth. This fact, along with the increased desire of the population to become subscribers of cellular communications, increases concern among the population. Radiation from mobile phones is not ionizing. Numerous epidemiological studies have shown that there is no significant relationship between the development of brain tumors and the use of mobile phones, regardless of the duration of use and the type of phone.
Chemical carcinogens
The fact that certain chemicals are capable of initiating a tumor has long been known. The history of studying the influence of certain chemicals on the occurrence of malignant tumors has more than 200 years.
It is still not completely known how carcinogens make a normal cell acquire the properties characteristic of malignant growth, what is the first stimulus, the initial effect that makes the cell changed, not yet tumorous, but already “not normal”. To answer this question means to understand the nature of cancer. In recent years, researchers have come closer to solving this problem by revealing some of the mechanisms of chemical carcinogenesis.
Chemical carcinogens are organic and inorganic compounds of different structure. They are present in the environment, they are waste products of the organism or metabolites of living cells.
Some of the carcinogens have a local effect, while others affect organs sensitive to them, regardless of the site of administration. There are carcinogens that are active on their own (direct carcinogens), but most require prior activation (indirect carcinogens). There are substances that enhance the effects of carcinogens. The impact of chemical carcinogens on a living organism is extremely diverse.
British researchers managed to isolate from coal tar a new compound belonging to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons - 3,4-benzpyrene, when applied to the skin of which chronic inflammation develops with a transition to cancer. It was the first carcinogen whose structure was established. Benzpyrene is considered one of the most active and dangerous carcinogens.
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are formed during the combustion of organic substances at high temperatures and are very common environmental pollutants. They are present in the air, in the water of polluted reservoirs, in soot, tar, mineral oils, fats, fruits, vegetables and cereals.
Nitrosamines, aromatic amines and amides, some metals, asbestos, vinyl chloride, aflatoxins and other chemicals have a carcinogenic effect.
Nitrosamines are toxic, have a mutagenic and teratogenic effect, more than 300 out of several hundred studied cause a carcinogenic effect. In the external environment, nitrosamines are found in small amounts in foods, herbs, pesticides, feed additives, polluted water and air. In addition, they enter the body with tobacco, cosmetics and drugs. In finished form from the external environment, a person absorbs a small amount of nitrosamines. A significantly larger amount of nitrosamines is synthesized in the body from nitrites and nitrates in the stomach, intestines, and bladder. Nitrites and nitrates are found in cereals, root vegetables, soft drinks, and are added as preservatives to cheeses, meats, and fish. In recent years, their content has sharply (5-10 times) increased in potatoes.
Aromatic amines and amides are widely used in the production of aniline dyes, pharmaceuticals, and pesticides. They lead to bladder cancer. One of these compounds has been used for a long time in some foreign countries as a food coloring. It was added to margarine and butter to give them a fresh summer look. After establishing the carcinogenic properties of this dye, it was banned.
Asbestos is a fibrous silicate used in construction. Loose asbestos fibers are dangerous. They are found in the air of living quarters. Resistance to acids allows the use of asbestos in the manufacture of vinyl wallpaper, paper products, textiles, as well as floor coverings, pipes, putty, putty. Experts believe that a worker in asbestos production in 20 years can get lung cancer. Asbestos workers have an increased incidence of cancer of the lung, larynx, pleura, peritoneum, and occasionally malignant tumors of the gastrointestinal tract.
Vinyl chloride is an ingredient in common plastics used in medicine, construction, and consumer goods. Among those employed in the production of vinyl chloride, the incidence of liver, lung tumors, and leukemia is increased.
Benzene and its derivatives also have carcinogenic properties. Prolonged contact with benzene contributes to the occurrence of leukemia.
Compounds of arsenic, nickel, chromium, cadmium are carcinogenic. Prolonged exposure to these metals can lead to cancer of the upper respiratory tract and lungs. Arsenic, in addition, causes skin cancer, and cadmium, chromium and their compounds - cancer of the prostate and urinary organs. Heavy metals enter the environment with industrial emissions and wastewater from industrial enterprises. Their source is also vehicles. It has been established that when potatoes are stored in a garage (a fairly common occurrence), the content of heavy metals, in particular lead, increases in root crops. Cases of the development of cancer of the anal canal and perineum with the use of newspapers as toilet paper. Lead, which is part of printing ink, has a carcinogenic effect.
Aflatoxin, a mold toxin, is a dangerous carcinogen. This fungus is ubiquitous, but in hot climates it releases toxic substances in large quantities. Aflatoxins in large doses are poisonous and cause the death of animals, and in small doses - liver tumors. This fungus can infect cereals, bran, flour, nuts. The main danger is that during the heat treatment of products affected by this fungus, the toxin that it releases into the product is not destroyed. You can suspect the presence of aflatoxin in foods by a bitter taste. For example, nuts start to taste bitter.
The development of science and production constantly leads to the emergence of new chemical compounds with carcinogenic properties. It is especially important to know the compounds that a person has to deal with.
In this sense, the chemical composition of food products and compounds obtained by various culinary processing of food is of great interest. The occurrence of cancer of the esophagus, stomach, intestines, liver, pancreas, mammary and prostate glands, body of the uterus, ovaries and lung is directly or indirectly related to the nature of nutrition. Food contains more than 700 compounds, including about 200 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, amino-azo compounds, nitrosamines, aflatoxins, etc. The channels for food contamination with chemical carcinogens are endless. They can get into food from synthetic packaging, the inside of cans, from labels that use printing ink. "Unintentional" contamination is possible in a warehouse or during transportation. Carcinogens can be formed during improper storage and culinary processing of products. The content of carcinogens in food increases with the excessive use of nitrogen-containing mineral fertilizers and pesticides, as well as with their pollution of atmospheric air and drinking water.
Food contamination with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, nitrosamines and their precursors (nitrites and nitrates), pesticides, and in some areas - aflatoxins is of the greatest importance for humans.
Benzpyrene is found during overcooking and overheating of fats, in canned meat and fish, in smoked meats after processing food with smoke smoke.
In one of the rural areas of Poland, there was a high incidence of stomach cancer. Specialists became interested in the customs of cooking in this region. It turned out that the housewives melt lard in a capacious frying pan, and then for a week or longer they repeatedly heat the remaining fat and fry meat and vegetables on it. With frequent heating to high temperatures in a cast-iron pan, pork fat changes its structure, substances are formed that have carcinogenic activity, and mainly benzpyrene.
Nitrosamines are found in small amounts in many foods: smoked, dried and canned meat and fish, dark beer, some types of sausages, dry and salted fish, pickled and salted vegetables, spices, and certain dairy products. Smoke processing, overcooking of fats, salting and canning accelerate the formation of nitrosamines. In contrast, storing products at low temperatures drastically slows down their formation.
Nitrites and nitrates are found in foods in much greater quantities. Food is the main source of their intake into the body.
In agriculture, nitrogen-containing, potash and phosphorus-containing mineral fertilizers are used. Potash and phosphate fertilizers do not pose a carcinogenic hazard. Dangerous are nitrogen-containing fertilizers, which in the body are transformed into nitrates, nitrites, and then into nitrosamines.
Many pesticides are also carcinogenic. Most pesticides are chemically stable compounds, highly soluble in fats. Due to this, they accumulate in plants, tissues of animals and humans. The use of pesticides with a high content of nitrosamines poses a certain danger to agricultural workers.
Biological carcinogens
Viruses, which are biological carcinogens, as well as chemical and physical ones, can serve as external signals that affect the internal patterns and processes that control cell division in the body.

Cancer Prevention
Concern and increased attention to oncological problems is one of the characteristic features of healthcare in all developed countries. This is primarily due to the steady upward trend in cancer incidence, which has reached fairly high levels and will continue to grow in the foreseeable future.
Oncological pathology occupies the first place in the causes of death in many countries of the world. The reason for such a high mortality from malignant neoplasms lies primarily in the peculiarities of this pathology and in the fact that only 25% of patients of this profile who are hospitalized for inpatient treatment are at a relatively early stage of the disease, when treatment is still available and quite promising, and with In the most common cancer localizations, such as stomach cancer, lung cancer, hospitalization in the first stage of the disease does not even reach 10%. At the same time, the current level of knowledge and medical technology makes it possible to diagnose the most important forms of malignant neoplasms at the early stages of their development, as well as to eliminate precancerous conditions and precancerous changes that preceded them. In all developed countries, increasing attention is paid to both primary and secondary prevention of cancer.
Under the primary prevention of malignant neoplasms is meant the prevention of the occurrence of malignant tumors and precancerous conditions preceding them by eliminating or neutralizing the effects of adverse environmental and lifestyle factors, as well as by increasing the nonspecific resistance of the body. This system of measures should cover the whole life of a person.
In accordance with modern data on the mechanisms of carcinogenesis in humans and the role of exposure to carcinogenic factors in the occurrence of cancer, primary cancer prevention is carried out in the following areas.
Onco-hygienic prophylaxis, i.e. identification and elimination of the possibility of human exposure to carcinogenic environmental factors, as well as identification and use of opportunities to reduce the dangers of such exposure. The range of forms of influence in this direction is extremely extensive and only the main ones can be specified. These are the way of life and human nutrition.
The leading role in the improvement of lifestyle is given to the control of smoking. Educational institutions in some countries introduced a special course on the consequences of smoking and strict control of the relevant authorities over the dynamics of the incidence of the population associated with smoking. Such attention to smoking control is due to the fact that tobacco and tobacco smoke contain more than 3,800 chemicals, many of which are polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), nitro compounds and aromatic amines, which are the strongest carcinogens. According to the literature, the attributable risk of lung cancer, i.e. the proportion of cases of this disease caused by smoking is 80-90% in men and 70% in women. The role of smoking in the occurrence of cancer of the esophagus, pancreas, bladder is great. Annual direct and indirect costs for the treatment of diseases associated with smoking in the United States amount to more than 50 billion dollars.
Oncological morbidity also increases significantly with the use of alcohol, especially strong drinks. So a person who systematically consumes 120 g or more of pure alcohol per day has a risk of developing esophageal cancer 101 times higher than a comparable person who does not drink alcohol. The attributable risk of this bad habit increases significantly if it is combined with smoking.
Great importance in the occurrence of malignant tumors is attached to the action of ionizing radiation, ultraviolet radiation, as well as non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation of the radio and microwave range.
A clear connection has been established between catastrophic events (stressful situations) in a person's life and the occurrence of malignant neoplasms. The risk of these diseases increases sharply with emotional depression of a neurotic nature due to neuropsychic trauma, there is also a high correlation between depression (with the exception of mental patients) and the tumor process.
The nature of human nutrition (diet) is very important in the occurrence of tumor diseases. The recommended balanced diet should contain no more than 75.0 fats per day, especially saturated fats for men and 50.0 for women. It should be rich in plant products and vitamins, especially A, B, C, E, which have an inhibitory effect on carcinogenesis. The list of factors and effects on carcinogenesis is not limited to those listed above and is quite extensive.
Biochemical prophylaxis aims to prevent the blastomatous effect from the action of carcinogens through the use of certain chemicals and compounds. The biochemical direction in the prevention of oncological diseases is of great importance, however, the implementation of the possibilities of this direction seems to be very difficult: many experts believe that biochemical monitoring is necessary to organize measures to prevent the blastomatous action of chemical carcinogens and control the effectiveness of protective measures.
Theoretically, the effectiveness of measures for oncohygienic and biochemical prevention is estimated by a decrease in cancer incidence by 70–80%, since according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (Lyon, France), 80–90% of malignant neoplasms are determined by environmental factors.
Other areas of prevention of malignant neoplasms include medical genetic prophylaxis by identifying families with inherited predispositions to precancerous and neoplastic diseases, individuals with chromosomal instability and organizing measures to reduce the risk of possible exposure to carcinogenic factors. In the mechanisms of hereditary predisposition, endocrine factors often play a decisive role. Thus, the daughters of a mother with breast cancer have a 4.5 times higher risk of developing this disease than their peers who do not have such an anamnesis. Sisters of a patient with breast cancer, if their mother suffered from the same disease, are 47-51 times more likely to develop such a tumor than their peers with uncomplicated heredity. Women with a burdened history of breast cancer are not recommended to breastfeed children, drink coffee, take certain medications, especially reserpine and the rauwolfia group. Benign breast tumors among women with this disease in a family history are 4 times more common.
Immunobiological prophylaxis is carried out by isolating people or forming groups with immunological deficiency and organizing measures for its correction or elimination simultaneously with protection from possible carcinogenic effects. This direction is of particular importance in long-term immunosuppressive therapy after homologous organ and tissue transplantation, as well as in the treatment of autoimmune diseases.
Endocrine-age prevention is carried out by identifying and correcting dyshormonal conditions and age-related homeostasis disorders that contribute to the emergence and development of malignant neoplasms.
The theoretical effectiveness of each of these areas is estimated by a 10% reduction in cancer incidence.
Secondary prevention of malignant neoplasms is a set of measures aimed at identifying precancerous diseases and conditions, as well as early diagnosis of oncological diseases, which ensures the highest efficiency of their surgical (and other types of antitumor) treatment. In the implementation of this type of prevention, the use of cytological, histological, endoscopic, radiological and other special examination methods is of great importance, since a simple visual examination and the use of conventional medical examination methods without the use of the above methods are not effective enough to detect early stages of oncological diseases. However, given the importance and the growing trend of cancer incidence, this direction of secondary prevention has not lost its positive significance. Methods of collective prevention should be implemented primarily through strict observance of the provisions of the relevant regulatory and regulatory documents on the protection of public health, and methods of individual prevention also through the systematic promotion of the necessary medical knowledge and the creation of conditions for a healthy lifestyle.
In individual prevention, clinical examination remains of great importance, during which all medical specialists should show oncological alertness, i.e. exclusion of the blastomatous nature of the disease and tumor processes in the examined area, including, if necessary, the use of special research methods. Such a course of action in the process of medical examination sufficiently ensures the timely detection of early stages of oncological diseases and persons with an increased risk of their occurrence, which makes it possible to form risk groups. Persons assigned to these groups should be subjected to special research methods (depending on the indications - cytological, histological, endoscopic, ultrasound, x-ray, laboratory, etc.) in compliance with the strict frequency of their conduct. In addition to those defined by the relevant provisions, such groups also include those suffering from some forms of anemia, goiter, obesity of the II-III stage, chronic diseases of the lungs and gastrointestinal tract, primarily of an inflammatory nature, over the age of 40 years. These groups include smokers and those suffering from alcohol dependence, persons who have blood relatives of patients or who have suffered from oncological diseases, primarily lung cancer, cancer of the stomach, colon and rectum, breast cancer, etc. The risk groups should also include persons who have been diagnosed with triad: hypertension, diabetes, obesity.
Such groups can also be formed based on the use of screening programs recommended by WHO, including the use of automated screening.
Of great importance in organizing the prevention of malignant neoplasms and increasing its effectiveness is qualified sanitary and educational work with personnel and the systematic improvement of oncological training of medical workers, including doctors of all specialties.

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