SEOUL, KOREA - “Simple practices, such as giving up smoking or performing physical activities can help prevent cancer,” said Park Jae-gahb, a professor at Seoul National University (SNU) and former president of the National Cancer Center. On March 13th Park gave a presentation on the subject of “Prevention of Cancer” at the breakfast meeting of the Information Professional Association of Korea (IPAK).
“The death toll from cancer in Korea stood at approximately 71,000 (as of 2011) accounting for 27.8% of the total death rate, and the highest rate amongst the top five causes of death (cancer, cerebrovascular disease, cardiac disorder, suicide, and diabetes). Despite cutting edge medical technologies, one in three people in the country are diagnosed with some form of cancer during their lifetime, up from one in four in the past. Now, it is time to focus on prevention rather than treatment. Simple practices such as quitting smoking or becoming physically active can help prevent cancer.”
“Contrary to the popular view, cigarettes are more dangerous than marijuana. They contain 62 kinds of cancer-causing agents, and over 4,000 chemical substances. Annually, 50,000 people in Korea die from cigarettes because the government does nothing to control it. The Korean government is content to turn a blind eye to the restriction of tobacco control owing to the tobacco companies’ influence on the economy. In the meantime, tobacco companies continue to create a good impression on society by spearheading social activity projects,” the professor said.
Last year, Park filed a constitutional appeal against the Tobacco Business Act on the grounds that this act potentially undermines public health. “The Tobacco Business Act legitimately allows companies to produce, import, and sell cigarettes to citizens. This act should be shifted to the Tobacco Administration Act in order for the government to control the business activities.”
On top of discouraging smoking, Dr. Park recommended increasing physical activity. This way, people can stay healthy without spending money. Formerly, specialists in colorectal cancer encouraged low fat intake and a high-fiber diet, but now they consider physical activities to be of greater importance. Statistically, this reduces the risk of cancer by 10%, cerebrovascular disease by 20~25%, and cardiovascular disorders by 20~30%. Suicide and diabetes can also be prevented. The best way of doing exercise is speed walking for more than half an hour every day.
The professor greatly contributed to mapping out a ‘Five-year plan for preventing and treating cancer’ while serving as the head of SNU Cancer Research Center in late 1990s. Under the plan, Park initiated the “National Cancer Examination Project” through which 16 million people, in particular people in the low-income bracket, received free diagnosis and were able to detect cancer early. As a result, the initial goal of increasing the survival rate from 30% to 50-60% was actually surpassed with a 64% survival rate, one of the highest figures worldwide.
