Lung Cancer on the Rise Among Women Due to Smoking

Lung cancer, once more common in men, is now increasing in women due to smoking, noted Oncology Specialist Prof. Dr. Faysal Dane, stating "Smoking must be fought with utmost seriousness. If smoking were completely eliminated worldwide, it would have a greater chance of preventing cancer-related deaths than all methods developed to date against cancer, including all drugs, radiotherapy and surgical procedures combined." Pointing out that one in eight women develop breast cancer, Dane stressed the importance of early diagnosis. Prof. Dr. Faysal Dane from the Oncology Department of Marmara University Medical School provided Merck Pharmaceutical office employees with information on cancer formation, diagnosis and treatment methods as well as preventive measures during Cancer Week. As part of Merck's global internal communication project "As One For Patients," Prof. Dr. Faysal Dane was invited as a guest speaker for Cancer Week to the latest in a series of periodic discussion and information meetings held as part of Merck's Turkey initiatives. During the discussion held recently under the hosting of Merck Pharmaceutical's Oncology Department, Dane shared important information about cancer disease, prevention, diagnosis and treatment processes.

Immune System Destroys Cancerous Cells

Pointing to the importance of the immune system in fighting cancer, Prof. Dr. Faysal Dane stated, "In our bodies, under normal conditions, a cell can always become cancerous, but our immune system detects this and destroys that cell. From this we understand that we have genes called tumor suppressor genes that prevent tumor formation. When there is loss in these tumor-suppressing genes, tumor development can occur from cells," he said.

Cancer Cases to Rise by 2030

Emphasizing that cancer is a significant health problem, Prof. Dr. Faysal Dane noted that cancer cases are expected to increase by 2030, stating "Despite so many interventions and efforts to fight cancer, is cancer declining? Scientific forecasts show us this: the number of new cancer cases is expected to rise from 11 million to 27 million, cancer deaths from 7 million to 17 million, and the number of living patients from 25 million to 75 million," he said.

Lung Cancer Common in Women

Noting that breast cancer is most common in women while lung cancer is very common in both women and men, Prof. Dr. Faysal Dane stressed that women's smoking is a contributing factor. Dane stated, "Lung cancer, which was more common in men previously, later became very common in women as well with increased smoking among women."

One in Eight Women Gets Breast Cancer

Stating that breast cancer is most common in women, Prof. Dr. Faysal Dane noted that one in eight women develop breast cancer, saying "Early diagnosis can indeed be very important in terms of treatment. At minimum, we must not miss cancers that can be diagnosed through screening methods. Breast cancer leads in this regard. Colon cancer can also be detected early through screening," he said.