India
bagging the tag for being the cancer capital of the world is a serious issue,
and it needs time to ponder over how to keep cancer at bay. The rising
incidences of cancer have various reasons, one of them is consuming tobacco.
Oral cancer is the most common and can be attributed to readily available
tobacco. Tobacco is consumed in multiple forms, such as chewing, smoking,
vaping, etc. Tobacco is available in the form of leaves that contain nicotine,
an addictive drug, and has both stimulant and depressant effects. Leaves of
tobacco are made into cigarettes, cigars, and pipes.
Onset of cancer
Tobacco
causes various types of cancer, namely lung, mouth, esophagus, throat, bladder,
kidney, liver, stomach, pancreas, colon, rectum, etc. Tobacco consumption for a
longer time higher the chances of cancer, whereas smoking tobacco for a longer
period leads to around 70 chemicals getting into the bloodstream.
The
chemicals may damage the DNA and make cells grow differently, ultimately
leading to cancer.
Symptoms
In
the initial phase, the cancer caused inside the mouth or throat is termed
leukoplakia, a white patch that turns red in days. A thickening lump in the
mouth or other body parts, a sore that doesn’t heal quickly, swallowing
difficulties, discomfort in eating, bleeding bowel movement, etc. A tumor
between 2 and 4 cm is found in the second stage. In the third stage, the growth
is more than 4 cm, and in the fourth stage, the cancer diffuses to the lungs,
liver, bones, etc
The cure
An
early-stage cancer can be cured, provided the patient gets medical help on time
and takes the proper medication. However, many take medical intervention later
when things go out of hand. With cancer hospitals having high patient density,
it is a ticking clock for many who desperately run around to save from the
deadly disease.
Awareness
Many
initiatives have been undertaken to create more awareness regarding the ill
effects of tobacco. Though a thriving industry where a lot of people are into
the industry of manufacturing tobacco-related products, consuming and smoking
tobacco have disastrous outcomes as people find it hard to quit the
habit.
Awareness level has been
heightened on the rising incidences of cancer where grotesque pictures of
cancer-infected areas, especially of the mouth, have been able to deter
individuals from saying no to tobacco products. However, strict regulations and
more awareness are the need of the hour.
