# World Cancer Day Awareness

Raising Awareness on World Cancer Day Radiation Oncology Specialist and Faculty Member at Bahçeşehir Üniversitesi Department of Radiation Oncology Prof. Dr. Berrin Pehlivan issued several warnings on the occasion of World Cancer Day. Stating that cancer is not hereditary but rather a chronic disease like heart disease, diabetes and hypertension, Radiation Oncology Specialist and Faculty Member at Bahçeşehir Üniversitesi Department of Radiation Oncology Prof. Dr. Berrin Pehlivan said: "We should actually be talking about not getting cancer, not about cancer itself. Because it is a preventable disease." Prof. Dr. Berrin Pehlivan noted that cancer, still perceived and feared in society as an incurable disease, is in fact a chronic disease. Speaking as a doctor who has treated cancer patients around the world for the past 20 years, Pehlivan stated: "We can prevent cancer because only 10-15 percent of cancers are hereditary. The rest relates to our lifestyle and bad habits." Pehlivan added: "Sometimes we notice changes in our bodies but we do not consult a doctor because we fear a cancer diagnosis. However, if we seek treatment early, things could change significantly. Both the rate of successful treatment and recovery from diseases would increase, and patients might undergo much less intensive treatments with minimal impact on their quality of life. However, not getting cancer and taking necessary precautions against it is easier than being treated for it. Proper nutrition and exercise provide substantial protection."

Healthy Lifestyle Prescriptions Should Be Personalized

Stating that 60 percent of cancers can be prevented through adequate and balanced nutrition, exercise, avoiding tobacco and alcohol, and quality sleep, Prof. Dr. Berrin Pehlivan expressed her thoughts as follows: "Adequate and balanced nutrition, sleep, exercise, abstaining from tobacco and alcohol, and managing stress are the five main pillars of a healthy life. A stress-free life is not possible. However, making stress a way of life and chronically experiencing it can trigger many diseases and also cause cancer to emerge rapidly or recur. How we eat and what we need should be personalized. Just as we want to feel special in our private lives, staying healthy and healthy lifestyle prescriptions should also be tailored to us. Genetic tests and blood tests we undergo, along with our habits and needs evaluated through a detailed physical examination by a doctor, should result in personalized prescriptions for us. Our lives should be directed accordingly. In conclusion, to avoid getting cancer, we first need to adjust our lifestyle."