Statistics show that this year, compared to the previous year, there are almost 7 thousand more deaths from cancer.
Photo: Svetlana MAKOVEEVA
On December 1 and 2, the II National Congress with international participation “National Health-2023” was held at the “Russia” exhibition in VDNKh. In the session on non-communicable diseases, oncology was also discussed.
“We all understand that life expectancy depends on diseases detected at an early stage, including oncology,” says the general director of the National Center for Medical Research in Radiology, the chief independent oncologist of the Ministry of Health of Russia, academician and Professor Andrei Kaprin. – But we see statistics: a sharp increase in detected malignant neoplasms begins in people after 45 years of age. That is, of working age. The maximum figures, of course, occur in the oldest age group: from 65 to 74 years. But even at this age, many continue to work effectively. I can’t help but notice the trend: in the last 10 years, the incidence of breast cancer in young women (ages 19 to 39) has increased by 34%. But this happened thanks to good screening and detection in the early stages, when breast cancer is highly curable.
Here are more numbers and comments from Professor Kaprin:
* In the last 10 years, cancer mortality has been steadily decreasing, but this year there are almost 7 thousand more deaths than the previous year.
“Unfortunately, this is due to the pandemic: then there were no mass medical examinations, there were fewer examinations and many cancer cases went unnoticed. Although the oncology service continued working, patients with malignant tumors already identified were treated, but unfortunately new cases were not controlled.”
* In general, compared to European countries, we have few cases of cancer. But when it comes to cervical cancer, we are among the leaders.
In figures, Germany has an average of 750 cases of malignant neoplasms per 100,000 inhabitants. We have 428 per 100 thousand inhabitants. Unfortunately, in the case of cervical cancer the situation is not encouraging: 11 cases per 100,000 in Germany and the United Kingdom (even fewer in the USA and Canada) compared to 20 cases per 100,000 in our country.
“And this is logical: in all countries vaccination against the human papillomavirus, the main culprit in the development of cervical cancer, is mandatory. We do not have. The statistical result is obvious.”
* In 30 years, the detection rate of early-stage breast cancer has increased from 13 to 70%.
“All thanks to the fact that more than 3,000 mammography rooms have been created in Russia. And mammography is mandatory for any medical suspicion, as well as every year for all women after 45 years of age.”
