Cancer scenario

Drink safe water is a common consciousness to prevent cancer. Ensuring safe drinking water to all can be an affective ways to decrease the number of cancer patient.

Cancer is the 2nd leading cause of death all over the world, and responsible for about 9.6 million (96 lakh) deaths (17 patients per minute).

In Bangladesh:

• Nearly 1.08 lakh patient had died of cancer.
• A number of diagnosed new cases of cancer was 150781 (male 83715 and female 67,066) throughout the year.
• Patient of breast cancer was 12764 (8.5%of all cancer patients).
• Lung cancers were responsible for the deaths of 12,075 patients.
  (Scenario reported by World Health Organization (WHO) in 2018)

Cancer treatment

• After a diagnosis of cancer, generally, patients may have to face surgical procedure to remove cancer tissue. Sometimes a surgical procedure is not applicable for overall circumstances.
• Then chemotherapy is given for the patient in order to stop or slow the growth of cancer cells. It is applied to prolong life or to reduce symptoms.
• Along this radiotherapy may also apply to kill cancer cells and shrink tumours.

But, still now cancer is considered as an incurable diseases worldwide. “Drink safe water” should be a campaign for aware the people about cancer.

• No specific curative medicine has invented for cancer treatment until now.
• Preventive medicine (vaccine) is intangible
• Palliative treatment (reduce sufferings) is unaffordable for mass people
• Only a few specific preventive measures are tangible for all.

Note: Cancer Awareness Foundation Bangladesh reported that 37 cancer treatment centres giving chemotherapy, radiotherapy and palliative treatment in the country.

 

How does cancer develop in our body?

• Cancer is a morphological malformation of tissue, abnormal growth of cells which tend to proliferate in an uncontrolled way.
• Affected cells may form a mass of tissue, called a tumour.
• Malignant lymphoma is a clinical feature as a primary symptom of cancer.
• In some cases occurred metastasis (spreading cancer cells).

Note: Cancer can not be developed in a day. Long term exposure to toxic substances more than tolerance limit may cause of molecular change of tissue, which can turn to cancer. Beside this long term existence of infected wound or boil may turn to cancer.

Example: primary clinical feature of arsenicosis is skin pigmentation, then it turn to keratosis or melanosis. Finally aggravated arsenicosis develops skin cancer.

Causes of Cancer:

All causes of cancer are not précised and cannot be explained in short. But the most common causes are:

• Certain period exposure to the toxic molecular substance.
• Infections – such as hepatitis and human papillomavirus (HPV), Tuberculosis etc.
• Infected wound (boil, ulcer) may gradually turn to cancer.
• Tobacco smoking; it has been strongly linked to various types of cancer -including cancer of the lung, mouth, throat, larynx, pancreas, bladder, cervix and kidney.
• Tobacco use is the most important risk factor and is responsible for 22% of cancer.
• Chewing tobacco is linked to cancer of the oral cavity and pancreas.
• Passive smoking (accompany by smokers); it increases the risk of lung cancer.
• Drink unsafe water is a vital reason for affecting cancer. Some heavy elements of water like Cadmium, Lead, Arsenik are strongly linked to causing cancer.

It is true that, drink safe water can reduce the chances of cancer.

Who are most likely to be affected by cancer?

• Patients with the infected wound (chronic ulcer)
• Patients with tumour
• Tobacco Smoker
• Alcohol user
• Diabetic patients

Economic Impact of Cancer:

The total annual economic cost of cancer was estimated at approximately US$ 1.16 trillion in 2010. The economic impact of cancer is significant and is increasing day by day.

What are the carcinogens?

Cancer-causing substances are known as a carcinogen. Many types of carcinogens exist in the environment. Most of the carcinogens lead exposure to renal failure as well as kidney damage. Common types of cancer with responsible substances are given in the chart.

Many Volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) may also exist in water and act as a carcinogen.

World Cancer Day:

4th February 2020, the WORLD CANCER DAY has been celebrated to raise awareness of cancer and to encourage its prevention, detection, and treatment by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) to support the goals of the World Cancer Declaration.

The Theme of WORLD CANCER DAY:       

‘I AM AND I WILL.’ (2019-2021).

The theme is all about you and your commitment to act. We believe that through our positive actions, together we can reach the target of reducing the number of premature deaths from cancer and non-communicable diseases by one third by 2030.

Prevent Cancer: Drink Safe Water

As air, water and soil are mixed everywhere in nature. Most of the elements of soil and air can be found in water as dissolved matters, insoluble substances, and microorganisms. If potable water contains the carcinogen, it creates serious fatal health hazards, even death also. Besides this, food can be contaminated by contaminated water. So we have to face intolerable circumstances with contaminated water. For this reason, water purifying is undoubtedly crying need to prevent cancer. Mandatory action as a preventive measure against cancer. We can eat safe food, drink safe water and prevent cancer risk. Drink safe water is not always too much costly if water sources are available.

Things to avoid as protective measurement

1. Tobacco (smoking and consuming)
2. Much sugar
3. Alcohol
4. UV radiation in mid-day sunlight
5. Nitrate rich food
6. Barbecuing food (Polyaromatic hydrocarbon generated)

Finally you have to drink safe water and avoid contaminated water.

How to Drink Safe Water?

Ultra Violet radiation and boiling systems are unable to remove substances from water. Chemicalization (Halogenation) for water purifying causing chemical substance accumulation in water and increases risk of cancer.

Filtration is the most preferable water purification system. It is chemical-free technology lead to separation of solutes from water through a semi-permeable membrane with tiny pores. The membrane is obstructed to pass through the larger substances and microorganisms from water. Membrane consisted of smaller pore size is more effective.

Available membrane filtration systems with pore size of membrane:

1. Ceramic filtration (CF): 0.3  – 0.8 micron
2. MICRO Filtration (MF): 0.1 micron         
3. ULTRA Filtration (UF): 0.01 micron       
4. Hyper Filtration (HF) – Reverse Osmosis (RO): 0.0001 micron

Pore size of membrane of CF, MF and UF are larger than maximum carcinogens. So, these filters are unable to remove all substances from water. Only Reverse Osmosis (RO) membrane consisted with smaller pore size than substances of water.

For this reason Reverse Osmosis (RO) technology is the best choice to purify the water due to the tiniest pore size (0.0001 micron) of the membrane.

You can keep confidence in RO technology for 100% safe “Drinking Water and Kitchen Water” Solution. This technology is recognized by NSF, ANSI and EPA of USA; certified by ISO 9001: 2008 and appreciated by WHO (World Health Organization). RO Water Purifier is an automatic machine directly usable for the domestic water line. No need to boil water. You can collect an RO water purifier for family health safety. It is significantly important to justify the quality before buying a RO water purifier. Ultima Bangladesh helps you to have drink safe water.

Key Points to Determine The Best RO Water Purifier:

• Pore size of PP: 0.45 micron (Finest) , 1 micron, 5 micron

• Power of RO membrane and Booster Pump

Domestic: 75 GPD, 100 GPD, Official: 200 GPD

• Type of activated carbon (GAC, CTO, T 33)

Coconut shell (Better Quality), coal carbon

• Type of faucet

Stainless steel (Alloy), Plastic Faucet

• Food grade maintenance of air pressure tank.
• Availability of filter and accessories in the market.
• Better and friendly customer care services.

Honesty (truthfulness) is the noble and public health safety is the humanitarian Goal of ULTIMA (The best family friend). We should make a slogan that Drink safe water & prevent cancer.

Edited By:

Dr. Hefjur Rahman Ojaer

BUMS (DU), MPH (NIPSOM – BSMMU)