Indonesia overwhelmed with cancer patients<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Health authorities and hospitals are fighting a
\nlosing battle to keep pace with the rapidly increasing number of
\ncancer patients, a leading oncologist laments.<\/p>\n
Dr. Didid Tjindarbumi told a seminar on Saturday that cancer
\naffects about 100 out of 100,000 Indonesians annually, and that
\nonly a small number of them receive medical treatment.<\/p>\n
\"It's overwhelming,\" he said. \"An estimated 180,000 new cancer
\nsufferers were found this year alone, while not all of those
\nalready affected from previous years have been handled well.\"<\/p>\n
Due to various reasons, including ignorance and poverty, only
\nsome 50 percent of all people affected by cancer receive medical
\nattention. Some 40 percent of those who finally see doctors and
\nare treated at hospitals cannot be saved because their illnesses
\nhave reached advanced stages.<\/p>\n
In 1989, cancer was the sixth leading cause of death here. It
\nis expected that its occurrence will grow along with increases in
\nlife expectancy, changes in lifestyle, and changes in patterns of
\nillness here, from infections to degenerative diseases.<\/p>\n
A study of 17 hospitals and 14 pathologic installations here
\nrevealed that cervical cancer is the most common form of cancer,
\nfollowed by breast, lymphoid and skin cancers.<\/p>\n
The incidence of cancer of the cervix accounts for 73.2
\npercent of all female cancer patients, followed by 10.5 percent
\nwith ovarian cancer.<\/p>\n
Held by the Dharmais Cancer Hospital and the Panasea health
\nmagazine, the seminar was attended mostly by women who flinched
\nwhen Tjindarbumi showed slides of breast cancer patients, and
\nlater rained the doctor with anxious questions.<\/p>\n
Sexual promiscuity<\/p>\n
Another speaker at the seminar was gynecologist Dr. Boyke Dian
\nNugraha who explained that sexual promiscuity greatly increases
\nthe risk of cervical cancer.<\/p>\n
He quoted studies which showed that the incidence of cancer in
\nthe cervix and uterus is twice as high in women with more than
\none sexual partner. He advocated \"healthy sexual behavior\" as
\nwell as a healthy diet, refraining from smoking and reducing
\nstress, as ways to prevent cancer.<\/p>\n
Tjindarbumi said there is a more than 30 percent chance that
\ncancer can be prevented. About one third of all types of cancer
\nare curable, while another third are incurable, but \"the
\npatients' quality of life can be improved,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He went on to explain that the only effective approach to
\nhandling cancer, particularly breast cancer, is by identifying
\npeople included in \"high risk group\" and educating them.<\/p>\n
Among those in the high risk group are unmarried women over 30
\nyears of age with a family history of breast cancer, or those who
\ngive birth when they are above 35 years of age, as well as those
\nwho do not breast-feed, and obese women.<\/p>\n
\"The older women are, the higher their risk of contracting
\ncancer,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Tjindarbumi added that oral contraceptives, which usually
\nconsist of a combination of estrogen and progesterone hormones,
\ndo not increase the risk of cancer, but should not be given to
\nwomen between 20 to 30 years of age. (swe)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/indonesia-overwhelmed-with-cancer-patients-1447899208",
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"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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