On Monday, we examined how wrong dietary habits can lead to cancer. Today, we are looking at certain avoidable infections that can also cause certain cancers. The ultimate goal is to steer clear of dangerous lifestyles that can induce cancer.
Experts tell us that cancers are non-communicable; that means you can’t contract the disease when you come into contact with anyone who has it. However, scientists say, infections with some viruses, bacteria, and other germs may increase a person’s risk for certain types of cancer.
Indeed, the World Health Organisation relates that, globally, infections are linked to about 15-20 per cent of cancers; while in developing countries, infections can account for as many as one in four (25 per cent) of all cancers.
According to a Professor of Radiotherapy and Oncology/Head of Oncology Unit, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba, Prof. Remi Ajekigbe, infections don’t only cause long-term inflammation, they also suppress a person’s immune system, or directly affect a cell’s DNA. Experts agree that any of these changes might lead to a higher risk of cancer.
And, with about 250,000 Nigerians being diagnosed with cancer every year, the onus is on us to know the infections that can lead to cancer and prevent them.
This has become necessary in view of the revelation by the Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, who said a survey conducted by the Federal Ministry of Health in 2011 showed that about 250,000 Nigerians are diagnosed with cancer every year!
What are the risks for certain cancers?
Cancers of the bile ducts and bladder
Answer this question: When last did you deworm? Many people have never used a worm expeller for once, yet researchers warn that certain parasitic worms that live inside the human body can also raise the risk of developing cancer of the bile ducts.
The bile ducts are tubes that connect the liver to the intestines; and when you eat raw or undercooked freshwater fish — as in Japanese dish, Sushi — you are exposing yourself to liver flukes such as Opisthorchis viverrini and Clonorchis sinensis — a type of flatworm that has been linked to developing this cancer.
Again, another deadly parasite, Schistosoma haematobium, found in untreated or polluted water, has been linked to bladder cancer. The problem starts with infection, leading to an illness known as schistosomiasis. So, know the source of your water and drink only potable water all the time.
Stomach (gastric) cancer
Described as the fourth most common cancer worldwide, stomach cancer is as deadly as it comes. Experts say long-term infection of the stomach with Helicobacter pylori (H pylori) may cause ulcers, while the bacterium can also inflame and damage the inner layer of the stomach.
The online portal, cancer.org, states, “Some of these changes could lead to cancer over time, especially cancer in the lower part of the stomach.”
H pylori infection is also linked with some types of lymphoma (another rare cancer) of the stomach, experts say. A Professor of Radiation Medicine, Charles Okon, notes that infection with H pylori bacteria might increase a person’s risk of stomach cancer. He hastens to say, though, that what you eat, whether you are a smoker or not, and other factors also affect your risk.
In order to save yourself and loved ones from this dreaded disease, experts warn that eating food or drinking water that has been contaminated by faeces is one route to being infected with H pylori. They stress that contaminated well water has been linked to H pylori infection in many cases.
Again, they warn, the infection can be transmitted from one person to another, mouth to mouth; while the consumption of foods that contain nitrate is also implicated.
“When you eat foods or drink beverages that contain nitrates, they can be converted by certain bacteria, such as H pylori, into compounds that have been found to cause stomach cancer in animals,” researchers enthuse.
Cancers of the cervix, penis, anus…
Ajekigbe notes that this cancer is caused by Human papillomavirus. Scientists say there are more than 100 types of HPV, of which at least 13 are cancer-causing types! Sad to say, this virus is mainly transmitted through sexual contact; and oncologists warn that most people are infected with HPV shortly after they commence sexual activity.
“Cervical cancer is caused by sexually acquired infection with certain types of HPV; and it is the second most common cancer in women, with an estimated 530,000 new cases every year,” Ajekigbe notes.
The WHO says annually, more than 270,000 women die from cervical cancer, with more than 85 per cent of the deaths being in low- and middle-income countries. The good news is that there are vaccines for the cancer-causing strain of HPV, and they are available in Nigeria. See your doctor for more briefing.
As terrible as the virus is, physicians say it has also been linked with cancers of the anus, vulva, vagina and penis!
Again, a very common bacterium, Chlamydia trachomatis, which is also spread through sex, can infect the female reproductive system as well as other parts of the body in both men and women.
Experts say women whose blood tests showed past or current Chlamydia infection may be at greater risk for cervical cancer than women with negative blood test results. What this implies is this: whether man or woman, frivolous sexual activities can give you cancer. Period.
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