CAUSES OF CANCER

• Chemical Agents – Tobacco in the form of smoking/chewing/burnt tobacco used for brushing teeth. These habits result in cancers of the lung/voice box/mouth/jaw bone or tongue.
• Diet – Some of the things we eat are suspected to cause cancer. People who eat excessive red meat and high fat content food are at a greater risk of developing bowel and breast cancers.
• Viruses – It is known that a large proportion of liver cancers occur in people who have previously been infected with Hepatitis B virus. Cancer Cervix also has been shown to be caused by a virus. Early marriage and multiple pregnancies along with poor personal hygiene, increase the risk of cervical cancers.
• Mechanical – Constant and long standing friction/irritation can also lead to a cancer eg. a crooked tooth causing cancer of the tongue and Dhoti Cancer (waistline) which is found only in India (due to obvious reasons).

"Prevention is better than cure" is most apt for cancer. As can be seen, educating the people right from a young age can result in better habits and in turn prevention of cancer. This could result in a reduction of over 60% in the new cases of cancer.