Brazil has almost 600,000 new cancer cases per year, says WHO director

World Cancer Day, celebrated this Friday (4), calls attention to early diagnosis, as a fundamental measure to avoid complications and increase the chances of curing the disease.

In an interview with CNNthe director of the International Agency for Research on Cancer of the World Health Organization (WHO), Elisabete Weiderpass, highlighted that the disease still has a profound impact on global health.

“Almost 600,000 people in Brazil develop cancer each year. And the most common types of cancer are prostate, breast, colorectal, lung and thyroid cancer. These are the priorities in terms of research and actions to prevent and treat cancer in Brazil today,” he said.

According to the director of the WHO, surgery to remove tissue affected by cancer is still one of the most important measures for treatment. However, science has made advances in the development and improvement of therapies against the disease.

In addition to chemotherapy and radiotherapy, widely used against cancer, she highlights the use of proton therapy, immunotherapy, monoclonal antibodies, gene therapy, transplants and artificial intelligence methods.

She considers significant advances, but also defends investment in public policies aimed at prevention.

“Are the investments enough? No, they are never enough. No country in the world, not even the richest countries in the world, can afford to use the entire arsenal of treatment that we are scientifically discovering in everyday life. So the best investment is really in prevention,” she said.

According to Elisabete, the adoption of healthy lifestyle habits can contribute to the development of the disease. “The good news is that most cancers are preventable. I would say that today in Brazil about 50% of cancers can be completely avoided. And how can you avoid it?! Controlling cigarette smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, being overweight or obese, and unhealthy eating and exposure to air and water pollutants,” she said.

Impacts of the pandemic

Elisabete also highlights the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on access to cancer treatment. “The 2019 pandemic had a major impact on the diagnosis, screening and initiation of treatment for patients affected by cancer. In general, the earlier you diagnose and treat cancer, the better the prognosis,” she comments.

“In terms of tracking all countries were affected. Countries that were least affected had a decrease of about 20%, most affected countries reached 80% to 90% interruption in screening services and many of them in diagnostics as well”, he adds.

Source: CNN Brasil

You may also like