Cases in Greece: Lung and bowel tumors on the rise
What is the incidence of various types of cancer in Greece? The data come from the Cancer Center of the World Health Organization in Lyon, since Greece does not have its own neoplasm archive. So these estimates could contain a large margin for error. Figures regarding deaths are more reliable, but there is not often a proper investigation of the primary site. For example, metastases of the liver could be registered as primary. There is a tendency, however, for an increase in lung cancer, since we are incorrigible smokers. Bowel cancer has also been on the rise as we gradually abandon our traditional Mediterranean diet. There has also been a worrying increase in the number of breast cancer cases in recent years, although they are still lower than in other European countries and the USA. However, these countries are seeing a decline in breast cancers, perhaps the result of better efforts and systematic mammograms. In Greece, the mortality rate from breast cancer is rising and we don’t know why. As early pregnancies offer protection from breast cancer, a possible reason is the fact that Greek women are now marrying later and having children much later. What about cervical cancer? Both here and abroad there has been a reduction in both cervical and uterine cancer. The decrease in the number of deaths from cervical cancer is because women are better informed and having Pap tests. The reduction of uterine cancer has been attributed to the use of birth control pills. Yet there is the impression that these pills increase the risk of cancer. That is wrong. In reality they greatly reduce the risk of ovarian cancer, which is a particularly nasty one, as well as cancer of the endometrium. And liver cancer? The incidence of this form in Greece is still high. But due to systematic efforts to prevent hepatitis in recent years by Professor Stefanos Hatziyiannis of Athens University’s medical school, as well as leading scientists such as Nikos Tassopoulos and Angelos Hatzakis, we hope that this trend will change. Also impressive in recent years has been the decrease in stomach cancer among men. Many attribute this to the greater use around the world of electric refrigerators, permitting food to be stored without salt, which in combination with a microbe prevalent where there is poverty and overcrowding, has contributed to this form of cancer in the past.
