Lifestyle and Cancer Links

Cancer is a disease that many people dread; it comes in several forms and though survival rates for some forms have improved dramatically in recent years, it is a disease that needs to be caught in its earliest stages. It is often the spread of the disease to other organs that causes the real problem. The form that perhaps receives the most attention is lung cancer because of the belief that smoking is a direct cause, so there is a good chance of never contracting lung cancer if you don’t smoke or if you give up the habit.

Smoking, Alcohol & Diet

Lifestyle is often the cause of disease. Smoking is certainly one of the main contributors to medical problems but it would be wrong to ignore diet. Most people like a drink (alcohol) but it should be in moderation. Likewise, people should look closely at what they eat. So much processed food is full of sugar and salt. Fizzy drinks are full of sugar and too much fried food is also potentially harmful. It can lead to obesity which in turn puts pressure on the heart and can lead to other problems.

When it comes to cancer, lifestyle is relevant as well, but if you are unfortunate enough to catch the disease then there are certainly people who can help. The capital city of the UK, London, inevitably attracts many people for employment opportunities and as a result of its growth the demand for services has increased. Medical care is important for the millions of people living in the South East, and with those numbers cancer is a regular problem.

 The Oesophagus

One form of cancer that is operable is oesophageal cancer; the oesophagus is not the most accessible of places in the human body, but keyhole surgery is often possible. It will vary from case to case, but oesophageal cancer surgery in London is a regular operation with good survival rates. The infected part of the oesophagus is removed and the remainder joined by a tube to the stomach. Lymph nodes will be taken away at the same time, in case cancer cells have got into the nodes as well.

Surgery

There are always some risks involved in surgery, but true professionals recognise that and have monitoring procedures in place so that recovery takes place as expected and any problems are seen immediately and the appropriate action taken.

Survival rates after oesophageal cancer surgery are good if diagnosis is at the early stages. It is a form of cancer that has become more common in recent decades and that is surely because of lifestyle. It begs the question – is there a link between unhealthy diet, smoking and alcohol and cancer in today’s world? The answer is probably that they are connected, as more people are overweight and many approaching obesity.