Natural Surrounding and Cancer

The daily activities in the natural surroundings contribute to the risks of contracting cancer. The use of tobacco merchandise is responsible for almost a 1/3 of the cancer fatalities in America. Lack of exercise and bad eating habits can also lead to the improvement of the disease. The ionization radiation is always of very high frequency and can intrude with the genes and the DNA in the body and thereby result in the improvement of cancer. The viral and bacterial infections, exposure to dust and great particles, the use of pesticides, and consumption of microwave popcorn all increase the chances of contracting most cancers from the natural environment. There is an estimation that two-thirds of the cancer cases are due to the physical environmental factors and are avoidable. The limitation of tobacco use in the United States can reduce the cases of cancer fatalities by a third.

Cancer and the Natural Surrounding

Cancer is the uninhibited augmentation of cells that disturbs the tissues and organs of the body. The disease usually grows over many years and has a variety of causes. Many issues contribute to the growth of cancer, both outside and inside the body. The cancerous environmental risk factors are the activities in the natural environment that increase the chances of contracting the disease. The exposure to the mixture of physical and human-made materials in the environment is responsible for more than two-thirds of the entire cases of cancer in the United States. Such environmental factors are inclusive of the lifestyle choices like the excess consumption of alcohol, tobacco smoking, lack of physical activity, and poor diet. The paper discusses the activities that contribute to the growth of cancer in the natural environment.

Tobacco

The first activity in the natural environment that increases the risk of contracting cancer is the use of tobacco. The exposure to the tobacco products’ carcinogens is responsible for almost a third of all the fatalities related to cancer in the U.S. annually (Israel, 2010). Pipe smoking, cigarettes, tobacco chewing, and even exposure to the smoke of tobacco in the environment all have linkage to elevated risks of cancer. The cigarette smoke carries more than one hundred substances that are cancerous. There is a further increase in the risk of cancers of the esophagus, voice box, and mouth among the tobacco smokers who also consume more than two drinks of alcohol daily (National Cancer Institute, 2003).

Neglect of Physical Exercise

Lack of physical activity and poor diet are also related to the risks of developing cancer. For instance, from the majority of studies, the finding was that the profound eating of red and conserved meats, foods preserved in salts, and intake of too much salt most likely increase the chances of contracting stomach and colorectal cancers. Also, there is a verification that a diet plenty of vegetables and fruits may decrease the dangers of contracting stomach, esophageal, and colorectal cancers. Obesity and overweight also appear to be the most significant adjustable origins of cancer immediately after tobacco. The larger populace studies indicate a consistent correlation between obesity and particular types of cancer and the first linkage are with the breast cancer in mature women and the colon, kidney, and esophagus cancers.

Ionizing Radiation

Ionizing radiation is also another activity that can lead to the development of cancer in the natural environment. The radiation is always invisible and of very high frequency capable of damaging the genes and the DNA that are within the body. Almost everyone usually gets exposure to the tiny quantities of the outer space rays that enter the atmosphere. However, radiation from such sources only accounts for a very smaller percentage of the total risks of cancer. Certain homes usually possess increased levels of radon, which is a radioactive gas that occurs naturally, but at low concentrations in most of the soils. Radon is produced by the uranium breakdown, therefore, usually releasing the ionizing radiation at low levels. Furthermore, there can be the finding of the radon in higher levels in particular kinds of rocky soil.

The impact of radon on health was first witnessed in the increased intensities of lung cancer among the underground uranium miners in America and some other parts of the globe. The radon gas from the surrounding soils always leaks into the houses through the splits and other openings in the basements (National Cancer Institute, 2003). From research, among almost every twenty homes, one of them must be having the high intensities of radon. Although the risks of cancer from the exposure to the radon from the houses are lower in comparison to those in the mines, there is the estimation that almost 20,000 cases of the deaths from lung cancer annually are due to the exposure to radon at home. The radioactive substances are also another source of ionizing radiation; their release can be caused by nuclear weapons or atomic bombs. Small quantities of the ionizing radiation which were present in the Japanese survivors of the atomic bombing led to the heightened risks of contracting cancers of the lungs, thyroid, stomach, and breasts among other organs (MedicineNet.com, 2017).

Bacteria and Virus

The viral and bacterial infections also constitute to the progression of various forms of cancer. For example, the human papillomavirus, which is a virus transmitted through sexual intercourse, is the principal source of anal and cervical cancer. Women who start having sexual intercourse at the age of sixteen years or below or those who have multiple sexual partners usually have higher chances of getting the infection. The HPV infections are becoming common; however, most of the infections do not end up causing cancer. Hepatitis B and hepatitis C, which are both viral infections, are the primary causes of liver cancer. The acquisition of HBV in Asia and Africa usually happens during childhood and those people have an elevated risk of contracting liver cancer; in the United States, it is not that common.

Fibers and Dust Particles

The exposure to fibers and fine particulate matter such as dust is in correlation with the increased risks of contracting cancer, especially in the industries. The asbestos fibers and the commercial types of asbestos are known carcinogens. The elevated rates of mesothelioma, which is a rare type of cancer of the inside layer of the lung and abdominal cavity, and lung cancer have been consistently observed in many people who work while being exposed to asbestos. This risk is even higher for those individuals who smoke. The sunlight radiations such as ultraviolet radiation lead to premature aging and damage of the skin that can result in the development of skin cancer (MedicineNet.com, 2017).

Pesticides and Microwave Popcorns

There is a link between the present-day pesticides, tumors, and respiratory, neurological, reproductive, endocrine, and immunological disorders (Sears & Genuis, 2012). Eating large amount of microwave popcorn is also increasing the chances of developing cancer from the natural environment. The waxy cover in the popcorn bag produces the carcinogenic perfluorooctanoic acid which has the implication of causing liver and prostate cancers (Bright, 2015).

Conclusion

Scientific evidence demonstrates that lifestyle changes such as a healthy diet and physical exercises reduce the risks of contracting various types of cancer. People should avoid using tobacco products such as cigarette and tobacco. There should also be a reduction in the exposure to sunlight, especially in childhood and in the middle of the day to avoid the development of skin cancer. People should also limit the consumption of alcohol; in fact, men should not take more than two bottles per day while women should only have one (IDPH, 2017).

References

Bright, S. (2015, August 27). 15 everyday things that increase your cancer risk. Retrieved from http://www.naturallivingideas.com/15-every-day-things-that-increase-your-cancer-risk/

IDPH. (2017). Cancer and your environment | IDPH. Retrieved from http://www.dph.illinois.gov/topics-services/diseases-and-conditions/diseases-a-z-list/cancer-your-environment

Israel, B. (2010, May 21). How many cancers are caused by the environment? Retrieved from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-many-cancers-are-caused-by-the-environment/

MedicineNet.com. (2017). Cancer risk factors symptoms, treatment, causes. Retrieved from http://www.medicinenet.com/cancer_causes/page3.htm

National Cancer Institute. (2003). Cancer and the environment. Retrieved from https://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/materials/cancer_and_the_environment_508.pdf

Sears, M. E., & Genuis, S. J. (2012). Environmental determinants of chronic disease and medical approaches: Recognition, avoidance, supportive therapy, and detoxification. Retrieved from https://www.hindawi.com/journals/jeph/2012/356798/