Every 20 minutes a new case of cancer is diagnosed in Cuba, while 146 people die daily from this disease, reported Elías Antonio Gracia Medina, head of the National Medical Oncology Group.
The doctor stated that this figure speaks of a critical and worrying problem for the Cuban health system, while recognizing that programs such as breast cancer prevention have had to be suspended.
In a recent interview for Cubavision International, the doctor said that although cancer does not occupy first place as the main cause of death in Cuba, it is very close to deaths fromcardiovascular diseases, and its incidence places it in a critical position, especially among the population aged 1 to 74 years.
Gracia Medina stated that it is the main cause of potentially lost years of life in this demographic group, affecting individuals in their prime economically active age.
Skin cancer stands as the most common form of the disease in Cuba, although it does not represent the main cause of cancer-related mortality, he explained.
For men, the deadliest types include cancer of the prostate, lung, colon, and larynx; while in women, the most prevalent are breast, lung, cervical and colon cancer.
He highlighted that 50 percent of cancer deaths in the country are associated with four specific types:lung, breast, prostate and colon.
This statistic reflects the urgent need to address these cancers as a priority in prevention and treatment efforts, the expert stressed.
Gracia Medina emphasized the importance of primary prevention, highlighting measures such as adopting a healthy lifestyle, avoiding smoking, following a balanced diet, exercising regularly and protecting yourself from the sun.
In addition, he emphasized the importance of detecting cancer in its initial stages or even before it manifests itself, as in the case of cervical cancer, by detecting precancerous lesions.
The aging of the population is identified as one of the main drivers of the incidence of cancer in Cuba.
With a projected trend of more than 53,000 new cases per year, and estimates suggesting that by 2030 this figure could rise to more than 56,000.
However, he offered no reports of programs aimed at stopping the trend. Rather, he stated that programs such as breast cancer screening have stopped.
Tens ofCancer patients are suffering from a lack of medicines to treat the disease, according to growing complaints on social networks.
The doctor said that cancer treatment is increasingly expensive, and blamed the embargo for the lack of medical equipment on the island.
What do you think?
COMMENTFiled in:
