Damascus-SANA
World Cancer Day, which falls today, aims to raise awareness of the importance of early detection, improve access to care and treatment, and raise awareness of this disease as a public health issue.
The theme of this year's International Day, which carries the slogan (Let's unite to make the world aware of closing the gap in cancer care), focuses on understanding inequalities in cancer care, and taking the necessary measures to make progress in treating it.
In Syria, the health sector continues to provide free treatment to patients despite the difficulties imposed by the unilateral Western coercive economic measures imposed on Syria, which led to high costs and the difficulty of securing quality medicines, according to the Director of Communicable and Chronic Diseases at the Ministry of Health, Dr. Zuhair Al-Sahwi.
Al-Sahwi indicated that cancer care in terms of treatment in all its medical and surgical forms is provided to patients in 14 hospitals affiliated to the Ministries of Health, Higher Education, Scientific Research and Defense, in addition to the Basma Unit for the treatment of pediatric cancer.
Al-Sahwi pointed out that the Ministry, in cooperation with the National Committee for Cancer Control, is working to expand the scope of work of the National Cancer Registry Program, to prevent risk factors and apply scientific programs for its early detection, improve the quality of life of patients through care in accordance with standard standards, and establish a palliative care program (pain relief). In addition to encouraging and supporting scientific research related to it.
Al-Sahwi explained that the most common type of cancer among males is lung cancer at 20 percent, colon and rectum at 10 percent, and both blood and prostate at 9 percent. Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women at 39 percent, followed by thyroid and blood cancer at 7 percent. percent, and colon cancer and lymphoma, 6 percent.
With the aim of early detection of cancer and raising cure rates, the National Cancer Control Committee launched in February of last year the National Cancer Screening Campaign, which includes conducting the necessary examinations to investigate breast, cervical and prostate cancers. During the current month in Aleppo, and then in the rest of the provinces, respectively.
According to the World Health Organization, more than 700 thousand cases of cancer are diagnosed annually, and the number is expected to increase by about 50 percent in 2040, and 30 to 50 percent of cancer deaths can be prevented by avoiding some risk factors, including abstaining from smoking and eating a healthy diet. Avoid air pollution and treat chronic infections.
Rama Rashidi
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