Cancer rates in Turkey to double by 2030 with current trends

With 229 out of every 1,000 people in Turkey diagnosed with cancer each year, cancer rates will double if the current trends continue, said Nejat Özgül, head of the department of cancer control at the Ministry of Health, on Monday.

As the Ministry of Health dedicated its annual "Combating Cancer Week," held during the first week of April, to cancer in women, Özgül said that breast, uterine, cervical and ovarian cancer constitute half of all the cancer faced by women. He said that 20,000 cases of breast cancer, 500 cases of cervical cancer, 3,800 cases of ovarian cancer and 4,700 cases of uterine cancer are diagnosed each year in Turkey.

"In general, cancer is seen more in men than in women. If it continues to increase at this rate, the frequency of cancer will increase twofold by the 2030's, affecting 450 out of every 1,000 people. The most common type of cancer in Turkey is lung cancer. The reason for this is the high rate of cigarette use. Approximately 100,000 people in Turkey die each year from smoking-related diseases," Özgül said.

Second among the causes of death in Turkey, after heart and coronary disease, cancer maintains its central place on the nation's agenda due to fatalities caused by it as well as the high cost of treatment, which lead to severe losses in the labor force and the nation's economy, says Özgül.

Özgül referred to the reliability of their data, as their data record-keeping system is gaining a reputation for credibility worldwide, noting that parallel to the increasing quality of their cancer data was an increase in cases of cancer.

Özgül emphasized the contribution of the Early Cancer Diagnosis, Screening and Education Centers (KETEM), which engages in prevention and protection, and public awareness through education campaigns and the early diagnosis of cancer. "KETEMs established in every province are shown as models on a global platform. There are plans to increase the numbers of KETEMs from the current 123 to 280 within the next five years," he said.

Özgül revealed that age, genetics, delayed birth and delayed menopause were factors in the 20,000 cases of breast cancer women face each year. This cancer can be prevented through breastfeeding, earlier pregnancies and controlling hormone use. He recommends mammograms for women aged 50-69 as part of cancer screenings.


/World Buletin/