Why We Are Winning The War On Cancer

Submitted By dnlmgh
Words: 837
Pages: 4

Nowadays cancer is leading cause of death which accounting for approximately 7.6 million people died worldwide each year and these numbers are projected to continue increasing. In 1971, the war on cancer was declared by American president Nixon and it refers to the effort to search a treatment or cure for cancer by rising the understanding of cancer biology science and developing more efficient treatments. Many people think that we are actually winning the war on cancer. However, the others have the opposite opinion. There is not a clear answer of this controversial issue, and this essay will discuss both side of the question.

There are several reasons that why we are winning the war on cancer. First of all, advanced medical technology and early detection of cancer could make the victory of this war to a certain extent. As medical standards are being raised, cancer patients are treated by more advanced medical facilities and medicine, also cancer mortality can be reduced if cases are detected and treaded early. For instance, it is evidence depicts that the death rate of breast cancer is decreasing over years as shown in the following graph. The reasons for this decline are the widespread use of screening

tests such as mammography and development in treatment in the adjuvant and metastatic setting. Therefore, we are winning the war on cancer due to more advanced medical technology and early detection of cancer.

The second reason why we are winning the war on cancer is that the increasing quality of current life has contributed an impressive effect on reducing the incidence rate from cancer in some cases. As the quality of life in terms of healthy diet, low urban air pollution and small life pressure increase, the incidence of cancer seems to be lower than those who undergoing relative low quality of life. It is true that more than 30% of cancer death could be prevented by avoiding risk factors such as unhealthy diet with low fruit and vegetable intake, severe air pollution and so on. For example, the incidence rate of stomach cancer in the United Kingdom has decreased smoothly over last four decades as shown in the graph.
It is well known that the major cause of stomach cancer is bad eating habits and under huge stress. Because the quality of life is increasing over last 40 years in the United Kingdom, the probability of suffering cancer is reducing in both male and female as people eat better and much nutritional. Hence, we are winning the war on cancer because of the increasing quality of life especially eatting healthy diet.

In spite of the point of view for winnin the war on cencer as discussed above, there are aslo reasons that why people think the war on cancer is losing.

Firstly, the conventional cancer treatments are only target symptoms. It is true that conventional approach to treating cancer is very limited and unsuccessful in the long-term because the use of treatment such as primarly chemotherapy, radiation and surgery are only target the sympotoms rather than the underlying causes of cancer. Alothough certain cancer mortality rates have decreased for the past many years, but when