Senior Citizens Lounge: Understanding Cancer in Seniors |
Cancer is a word that creates fear, confusion and silence, especially among senior citizens. Many older people believe cancer is either inevitable with age or not worth addressing once it appears. Both beliefs are incorrect. Understanding cancer in simple terms is the first step toward reducing fear and improving outcomes.
Cancer is a diseases in which abnormal cells grow uncontrollably and can spread to other parts of the body. Normally, our body cells grow, divide, and die in a regulated manner. In cancer, this regulation breaks down. The result is the formation of a tumour or widespread disease affecting organs such as the lungs, breast, prostate, colon, blood or ovaries. While cancer risk increases with age, cancer itself is not a normal part of ageing.
Risk factors for cancer are broadly divided into non-modifiable and modifiable factors.
Non-modifiable risk factors are those we cannot change. These include increasing age, family history, genetic predisposition, and certain inherited conditions. Simply living longer increases the chance that cells may acquire damage over time. This does not mean cancer is unavoidable, but it explains why cancer is more common in older adults.
Modifiable risk factors are those within our control, and this is where prevention becomes powerful. Nearly 40–50% of cancers are preventable. Tobacco use in any form, cigarettes, hookah, gutkha, or passive smoke, is the biggest preventable cause of cancer. Alcohol consumption increases the risk of cancers of the liver, mouth, throat and breast. Unhealthy diet, obesity, physical inactivity and prolonged exposure to indoor or........