Every year, on February 4, the world celebrates World Cancer Day. Its goal is to raise awareness about oncological diseases, remind people about the importance of prevention and early diagnosis, and support people living with this diagnosis. Andriy Gardashnikov, an oncologist, and Dmytro Osinsky, Deputy Director for Surgical Care at KNP KMKOTs, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor, told UNN journalist more about oncological diseases, approaches to early detection, and how to protect oneself.
How cancer arises
Our body consists of trillions of cells that form tissues. Each cell has a nucleus with genes located on chromosomes. These genes tell the cell when to grow, work, divide, and die. Normally, cells follow these instructions, and we remain healthy.
However, when sudden changes occur in the DNA molecule or it is damaged, this is called a mutation. If a section of an important gene is damaged, it causes a mutation in that gene. Mutated genes do not work properly because the instructions in their DNA get confused. This can lead to cells that should be resting starting to divide actively, and their number growing uncontrollably. Such atypical mutated cells, completely unlike normal ones, form a cancerous tumor, explains the Public Health Center of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine.
Incidence statistics
According to the National Cancer Registry, more than 100,000 cases of malignant neoplasms are detected annually in Ukraine.
The most common malignant neoplasms in women are breast (22.2%) and uterine body (10.1%), while in men they are prostate (14.9%), trachea, bronchi, and lung (13.3%).
In addition, since January 1, 2025, an order of the Ministry of Health on the procedure for screening and early diagnosis of breast cancer, cervical cancer, and colorectal cancer, as well as monitoring the health status of patients at risk, has been in effect in Ukraine.
Early diagnosis, or what everyone needs to know about cancer
In society, the idea that early diagnosis of oncology is a list of examinations that need to be done "just in case" is still widespread. However, medical logic works differently: cancer is not one disease, but a whole group of different diseases, each of which has its own risk factors and detection methods, says oncologist Andriy Gardashnikov.
The word "cancer" is a very broad concept. There is not and cannot be one test or one examination that would show that a person does not have any oncological disease. These are dozens of different diseases, and the approach to diagnosing each of them differs. That is why there is no universal examination "for cancer"
The doctor calls the family doctor the key figure in matters of prevention and early detection of oncology. It is he who assesses age, lifestyle, heredity, and existing risk factors and determines whether a person needs screening examinations.
It is worth not to prescribe tests for yourself, but to consult a family doctor. He works according to approved screening programs and can determine which examinations are appropriate for this person and which are not. Screenings exist not "for cancer in general", but for specific oncological diseases and specific risk groups
At the same time, there are so-called visual or self-observable forms of cancer. It is attentiveness to one's own body that can be the first step to early diagnosis.
There are forms of cancer that a person can suspect on their own. For example, breast cancer is often detected through self-examination when a woman notices a lump. The same applies to skin cancer – changes in moles, the appearance of new growths. But even in such cases, only a doctor can make a final diagnosis after a full examination
A separate problem is the fear of the diagnosis itself. According to Andriy Gardashnikov, it is the psychological barrier that often causes late обращения, when the disease is already at an advanced stage.
People are afraid not so much of the disease as of the word "cancer." They postpone visiting a doctor because they think that if they don't know, there's no problem. But oncology is not a death sentence. Many forms of cancer are successfully treated or go into a controlled state in the early stages
"For people, cancer remains emotionally traumatic; this disease frightens even by its name. Despite the fact that it cannot be said that oncological diseases are an unequivocal sentence. And despite the fact that there are many other diseases that can carry no less risks. Moreover, we can say that all people are different. And there are many examples of successful cancer treatment."
An important feature of oncological diseases is that in the early stages, most of them do not show any symptoms. That is why people often do not suspect the disease until it begins to progress.
In the initial stages, cancer in most cases does not manifest itself in any way. Very often, doctors detect oncological diseases in early stages by chance – during examinations that were conducted for completely different reasons. This is one of the reasons why you should not wait for symptoms, but should work on prevention
In addition to examinations, risk factors play an important role, many of which depend on lifestyle, says Dmytro Osinsky, Deputy Director for Surgical Care at KNP KMKOTs, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor. Among the most common are: smoking, alcohol consumption, overweight, physical inactivity, infections, UV exposure, chronic stress, and unbalanced nutrition. A person can control some of them independently.
A person can really influence many risk factors: control weight, not smoke, not drink alcohol, change their approach to nutrition, move more, get vaccinated against human papillomavirus and hepatitis. It is also important to limit the impact of stress and look for positive emotions
The doctor emphasizes that it is not always worth waiting for a scheduled check-up. There are symptoms, upon the appearance of which it is necessary to immediately consult a specialist, even if the person has recently undergone an examination. This refers to general changes in health that may indicate serious problems.
You should pay attention to unmotivated constant weakness, persistent anemia, bloody discharge from the vagina or during defecation, nausea, loss of appetite, sharp weight loss, as well as injury to a mole or a change in its shape or color. In such cases, it is better to consult a doctor immediately and not wait for the next preventive examination