I was born in Polykastro, Kilkis, where I grew up and lived until I was 18 years old..
There I finished the then six-grade high school and immediately emigrated to Montreal, Canada. There, following the educational system, I completed my two-year college education. Dawson, majoring in health sciences. I continued my education at the university McGill in the School of Microbiology and Immunology. I returned to Greece and continued my studies while working, at the Medical School of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, completing my PhD thesis and later at the National School of Public Health (now University of West Attica) I completed a Master's degree in Public Health.
Returning from Canada, I served at Kilkis Hospital in the Blood Donation Department initially and later in the Hematology Laboratory and finally in the Biochemistry Department. I was transferred to Theageneio Cancer Hospital of Thessaloniki, in its research department, in the Biochemistry Laboratory initially and later in the experimental animal department. In the last years of my work in the public sector, I served at the Public Stem Cell Bank of the Hematology Clinic of Papanikolaou Hospital. I also served for six years in the Health Services Inspectorate.
How did interest in cancer research arise?;
When I was finishing my first degree at university, the subject of cancer was a relatively new topic, and of enormous scientific and research interest. So it was very natural that I would turn my attention there, to exploring this phenomenon that ended up being one of the leading causes of death in the West.
Which groups of people were the source of your research?; (age, gender, specific condition, etc.)
At first, older people, because in these people the appearance of some type of cancer was more common. With the spread of this disease, however, in younger and younger people. In the Biochemistry laboratory, we were mainly concerned with breast cancer, the measurement of hormone receptors in the tissues of cancer patients, but also the investigation of the role of sex hormones in the development of this cancer. But also leukemias and what was treated in the hospital clinics had research interest in terms of the causes, the early indicators that could enable early diagnosis.
Through your research, you believe that today's lifestyle can cause cancer.;
All research has now concluded that the main variable for the development of cancer of any type is behavior, i.e. the way we live, move, eat, etc.
In your opinion, is it possible to prevent cancer and how?;
Of course, it is, and that is where I have focused my efforts in recent years. Since our lifestyle and behaviors are responsible for the development of cancer, changing behaviors can prevent such a development. Quitting smoking, or better yet, abstaining from it altogether, modifying our diet and avoiding processed and ultra-processed foods, exercising, and managing stress are behaviors that we can do something about and in this way influence our health and well-being.
What are your actions that promote health as a means of cancer prevention?;
As I told you, I have been working in behavior modification for the past 14 years. I have been coordinating smoking cessation groups for 14 years and during the pandemic and beyond, I have been providing individual counseling as support for smoking cessation on an individual level. New smoking cessation groups will be created after the summer and individual counseling can be done when someone wants to quit smoking.
I also coordinate stress management groups. I believe that information is a crucial element for everyone to know how to choose the right diet for their health, but also for modifying the conditions of their life, their personal environment and the products they will use, the air they breathe, the water they drink, the movement they put into their life. I transfer all of this as knowledge through lectures to organizations that provide a platform for such actions.
Where can we find you?;
In social media, on my page at Facebook and messenger Despina Sahpazidou (Despina Sahpazidou), I DO NOT SMOKE-think about it, also in Instagram & Tick toc I don't smoke, I don't vape, I breathe. On the phone and Viber 6974103896 and at e-mail [email protected]
Thank you very much.
I thank you too.
