[Epidemiology, mechanisms of cancerogenesis and prevention of neoplasms]

Primary prevention is the priority in cancer fighting. Smoking control is the most important measure in primary prevention of cancer. Dietary factor is also essential. Modification of diet with an increase in consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables, low-calory products, intensification of physical activity and lowering of body mass produce a reduction in the incidence of cancer of the stomach, large bowel, breast, corpus uteri, prostate. Prevention of infection including vaccination is the most efficient method for prevention of cancer of the liver, cervix uteri, some leukemias and lymphomas, H. pylori associated stomach cancer. Control of environmental hazards such as intensive ultraviolet radiation, ionizing radiation, air and soil pollution decrease the rate of skin cancer, melanoma, etc. The progress in molecular biology allows to modify carcinogenesis at each stage of cancer. Cancer risk assessment can be based not only on the knowledge of carcinogenicity of environmental factor and its dose but also on the information about individual genetic susceptibility. Information about carcinogen-specific somatic genetic damage (finger prints) and tumor-specific molecular changes in oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes can be used for identification of causative factors and early preclinical molecular diagnosis of cancer.