Or are we a step behind in knowing it?

Of late, Rakesh was having some trouble with his throat. He got a cough, which persisted for a few weeks. One of the most common causes is bad weather or change in weather, presuming which he tried some home remedies and when that did not work he even took some antibiotics. But after a while, the cough came back. By now he had become habituated to it and so he ignored it.  However his wife got irritated and took him to the doctor. Upon checking the history and symptoms, the doctor prescribed some tests and it was found that he had developed cancer of the throat. 

Just like Rakesh, lots of people are diagnosed with cancer at later stages because of ignorance or negligence or fear.

Every year India reports more than a million new cancer cases (source- India Today). We will always be a step behind in knowing it, because we fail to take it seriously and have a casual approach towards getting checked up regularly. 

We often do not try to understand what cancer actually is and the most we do is to be afraid and feel dreadful about it. 

Cancer is caused by development of abnormal growth of the cells in the body. An abnormal cell is a cell which was supposed to die but did not. Old cells in our body normally die, but when they do not and keep on multiplying, the tissues of these cells grow up to become a tumor.

There are certain obvious causes like consumption of tobacco and alcohol, smoking, not practicing a healthy lifestyle etc.

We let ourselves be by saying that not everyone who smokes get a lung cancer, but what if you do? One may say that they have seen people who were alcoholic and used to consume tobacco lived a long life, but what if it treated you differently? Not every lump is cancerous, but what if yours is?

There are many Rakesh and Rajesh and Sarita and Sunita and many more that ignore the signs. The best way to fight cancer is prevention or early detection.

Early detection saves lives, and families.