Your diet could decide whether you get cancer

While oral cancer rules the chart as being the most common form of cancer in India, doctors are reporting a significant rise in colon cancer cases in the city, especially among youngsters. According to doctors, the increased westernisation of dietary habits is leading to an increasing number of people getting colon cancer.

Bowel cancer, also known as colorectal or colon cancer, is the third most common cancer worldwide, causing 529,000 deaths a year.

“Colon cancer is very common in Western countries. But there is a steady rise in colon cases in India too, given the number of people taking to fast food. The major contribution to this is the change in the dietary habits of people. The high fibre meal is missing in our menu these days. The original Indian meal, which is high on fibre, ensured people didn’t get colon cancer,” said Dr Geeta Ghag, onco surgeon, Sion Hospital.

The doctors have also seen a dip in the age bracket of people getting colon cancers. “Earlier we used to see colon cancers in 40+ age people. However these days, the age bracket of people getting colon cancer has reduced to 20s and 30s,” said Dr Ghag.

The oncology department in Sion hospital sees more than 1,000 cases of cancers in a year. “Out of the gastro-intestinal malignancy cases that we are seeing, 50% of them are colon cancers while the rest is stomach and oesophagus cancers,” said Dr Sandhya Iyer, Onco surgeon, Sion hospital.

Agreeing with him is Dr Maheboob Basade, an oncologist at Jaslok hospital. He added, “Colon cancer has two factors. One is the occurrence of colonic cancer in the family, which contributes to a very small percentage. The major contribution to colon cancer is dietary habits. People who eat a lot of fast food and non-vegetarian food, and those whose intake of vegetables and fruits is less, are more prone to develop colon cancer.”

Colon cancer patients also undergo lot of trauma resulting in an added need for support from family. “The patients’ bowel movements are very different from that of normal human beings. They have to use a bag with a small opening which is attached to the stomach. They need to change the bag regularly. We had a 23-year-old boy, who was worried of the social stigma. We counsel such patients. In one case, the family abandoned the women after she was detected with colon cancer,” said Dr Ghag.

Professor Surendra Shastri, head of the department of Preventive Oncology, Tata Memorial hospital said, “People have to understand that cancer is a disease associated with longevity and lifestyles. Cancer is today a disease like diabetes or hypertension — people have to learn to live with it rather than despair over it. Simple lifestyle modifications involving balanced diets and physical activity along with specific prevention and screening tests would result in controlling the disease. Most importantly, avoid tobacco and take in alcohol in moderate quantities.”

While breast cancer and cervical cancer remain common among women and prostate cancers in men, doctors believe there are other cancer that are rearing their ugly head too. “Though there is so much awareness on harmful effects of gutkha, cigarette, paan etc, there has been no drop in cases of head and neck cancers. Among the head and neck cancers, tongue cancer is the most aggressive cancer and even after the operation and treatment, the chances of the person getting it back is high,” said Dr Iyer.

Dr Basade said, “There is huge number of young people coming with head and neck cancers. They come from all stratas of the
society.”