While the types of cancer are many, the risks can be minimized, a US-based doctor said Thursday.
Cancer can be difficult to treat, but seven methods can be employed to reduce risks, said Taing Tek Hong, a Florida-based physician, as a guest on “Hello VOA.”
Chief among them is to avoid tobacco use, he said. Healthy eating, including fresh fruits and vegetables and minimized meat and fat, can also help, he said.
Exercise to avoid obesity and avoid over-exposure to the sun’s harmful rays, especially between 10 am and 4 pm. Take hepatitis B and HPV vaccines, avoid too many sexual partners and drug abuse, he said.
Finally, he said, see a doctor regularly. Detected early, many cancers can be treated.
In response to a question from Preah Vihear province, Taing Tek Hong said breast cancer is one of the most common types, often occurring in the obese. Breast cancer can be cured in its early stages, he said, so women over the age of 40 should see a doctor once a year.
Self-examination for lumps can also help detect breast cancer early, he said.
Cancer can also occur in children, he said. Bone cancer, blood cancer and lymphoma can all attack children, he said. Bone cancer, if found in its initial stage, can be cut away, he said.
The World Health Organization has warned that the incidence of cancer is growing among Cambodians. An estimated 11,000 people died from cancer here in 2005, 9,000 of whom were under the age of 70, according to WHO statistics.
Cancer could become one of the top four killers of Cambodians by 2030, the WHO says. Even so, few resources, little data and a lack of funding for treatment remain.