The Complete Oncological Encyclopedia

Anna Govorova, Infox.ru 

The atlas presents the latest achievements in the field of cancer treatment, prevention, as well as statistics and the spread of cancer diseases worldwide, Infox reports.

The publication presents the results of research by research teams from 184 countries, as well as the International Agency for Research on Cancer.

The atlas was compiled by 60 authors – oncologists, experts in this field from all continents. For Russia, the publication was prepared jointly with the Association of Directors of Centers and Institutes of Oncology, Radiology and Radiology of the member States of the Commonwealth of Independent States, UICC and ACS. And the atlas was first presented in Melbourne in December 2014 at the UICC World Cancer Congress.

"This is a very important publication. It carries a lot of information on the peculiarities of the epidemiology of oncological diseases. The atlas contains information about modern achievements in the field of cancer prevention and treatment, which allows specialists to be aware of the most modern trends," said academician, MD, Professor, President of the Association of Directors of Centers and Institutes of Oncology, Radiology and Radiology of the Commonwealth of Independent States at a press conference dedicated to the presentation of the Atlas. Mikhail Davydov, Director of the Blokhin Federal State Budgetary Research Center.

"Atlas is the quintessence of knowledge about cancer today," says Lev Demidov, Executive Director of the Association of Directors of Centers and Institutes of Oncology, Radiology and Radiology of the CIS member States.

The information contained in the atlas will be useful not only to doctors and patients, but also to a wide range of readers who care about their health. A large section of the publication is devoted to prevention and screening (early detection of cancer), and these are the two main factors that can significantly reduce the incidence.

The other 50% are factors that, unfortunately, are not yet known to us," Lev Demidov says.

And the probability of developing lung cancer in a smoker is 15-30 times higher than in others. At least 16 types of cancer are associated with this addiction, except lung cancer, it is cancer of the esophagus, oral cavity, pharynx and larynx. According to forecasts, by 2030, 8 million people will die from tobacco use every year.

It is known that almost 90% of cases of stomach cancer are associated with infection with the bacterium Helicobacter pylori. Human papillomavirus (HPV) (highly oncogenic types 16 and 18) is the cause of almost all cases of cervical cancer and a number of other malignant neoplasms. Hepatitis B and C virus is the cause of more than 75% of liver cancer cases.

Fortunately, these infections can be fought. Helicobacter pylori infection is being treated, and there are vaccines against hepatitis B and human papillomavirus.

But these are only those infections that, as we know, increase the risk of developing cancer. It is possible that future studies will also identify other viruses or bacteria that cause cancer.

Here are the recommendations of the World Cancer Research Foundation (WCRF): you should try to keep fit, but at the same time avoid underweight, devote at least 30 minutes a day to physical training, do not consume sugar-containing beverages, include vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes and beans in the diet, and limit consumption of red meat, alcoholic beverages and salty food.

"Special means will help to protect against UV radiation, it is also necessary to avoid exposure to the sun in the middle of the day, use a hat and sunglasses," the authors of the atlas warn.

Such substances include radon gas (formed as a result of radioactive decay of uranium), arsenic, smoke emissions from the combustion of coal indoors, fine suspended particles, asbestos, which still continues to be used in construction and heavy metals.

After all, the success of treatment largely depends on timely diagnosis. As noted by the MD, Executive Vice President of the research direction of the American Cancer Society (ACS) Otis Brawley (Otis Webb Brawley), in many cases, such as with screening for cervical cancer and breast cancer, it was possible to achieve great success. "Here, early screening can save lives," Brawley says.

There is a serious dilemma in the feasibility of prostate cancer screening (prostate cancer). For example, the issue of conducting a PSA test is controversial. The fact is that this analysis often reveals latent, clinically insignificant cancer that does not give any symptoms, does not progress and does not affect the duration and quality of life in any way. But when treating this form of cancer, the patient's condition may worsen.

"According to European standards, it is recommended to conduct prostate cancer screening every two years for those men who are at risk – older than 60 years, those whose next of kin had or have this disease, dark-skinned patients. For the rest, it is enough to undergo screening once every eight years," says M. Tezer Kutluk, MD, Professor, President of the International Cancer Union (UICC).

As doctors say, if prostate cancer is detected at stage I, then a cure is almost guaranteed. Unfortunately, in Russia, more than half of all cases of the disease are detected at stages III, IV, which leads to high mortality.

"The dynamics of prostate cancer development is disappointing, knowledge of modern standards of prostate cancer treatment is of paramount importance. Both doctors and patients should be aware that today we can not only prolong the life of men in the last stages of the disease, but also significantly improve its quality. Today, there are already oral medications that restrain the development of the tumor, make it possible to significantly alleviate the pain syndrome. It is important that at the same time you can undergo treatment at home. Access to up–to-date information thanks to tools such as the Atlas of Modern Oncology allows you to compare treatment methods and exchange experience to combat this common problem for all," said Vsevolod Matveev, MD, Professor, Head of the Urology Department of the N.N. Blokhin Russian National Research University. 

"60% of cases of unmet need for painkillers worldwide occur in just 10 countries," the atlas says. Among them is Russia. Also included in this list are: China, India, Nigeria, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Indonesia.

The problem of the availability of painkillers for cancer patients is one of the most acute in Russian oncology, experts never tire of repeating.

"In Russia, the use of narcotic drugs is 30 times less than in Switzerland. Very large restrictions have been introduced, which significantly complicate the use of these medicines for patients who are in dire need of them, and control over these drugs has been tightened. This is really a huge problem, and it needs to be solved," Mikhail Davydov emphasizes.

We add that the Atlas of Modern Oncology can be downloaded on the website Canceratlas.cancer.org and to get acquainted in more detail with the sections devoted to the prevention, screening and treatment of oncological diseases, as well as epidemiology.

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22.06.2015