Physical activity and cancer

ABSTRACT

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the Caribbean. There are many kinds of cancer in fact cancer is the general name given to a group of more than 100 diseases which all develop as a result of abnormal cell-growth. The abnormal cells usually form into a tumour (a lump or mass) but there are some cancers, like leukaemia, which do not form tumours, and it must be noted that not all tumours are cancerous. Some of the well-known types of cancer in the Caribbean include breast cancer, prostate cancer, cancers of the colon, cervix, stomach, rectum and lung cancer. Less frequently are ovarian and endometrial cancers, as well as leukaemia and cancer found in the thyroid, bladder, kidney and pancreas. Physical activity is said to reduce the chance of developing certain types of cancers, so in this issue of Nayam News, we will be taking a look at the evidence for relationships between physical activity and some types of the disease.