New cancer cases are continuing to increase across the world, including Indonesia.
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JAKARTA, KOMPAS — New cancer cases are continuing to increase across the world, including Indonesia. Although many people are aware of the dangers of cancer, it has not encouraged them to manage the disease’s risk factors and seek early diagnosis.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), cancer deaths increased to 9.5 million in 2018 from 9.5 million in 2018. Tracheal, bronchial, and lung cancers are among the most common types of cancer. In 2018 in Southeast Asia, Indonesia was ranked first in the number of new cancer cases at 348,809, diagnosed primarily with breast, cervical, lung, liver or nasopharyngeal cancer.
Based on the basic health data compiled by Kompas Research and Development, the prevalence of cancer in Indonesia has increased over the past five years. Indonesia’s cancer prevalence was 1.4 per 1,000 population in 2013, which then rose to 1.79 per 1,000 population in 2018. The provinces with the highest cancer prevalence include Yogyakarta Special Region, West Sumatra, Gorontalo, Jakarta and Bali.
The high number of cancer cases has caused a significant financial cost to the country. According to the Health Care and Social Security Agency (BPJS Kesehatan), at Rp 3.4 trillion (US$ 242.85 million), cancer was the second of the five highest-cost catastrophic diseases in 2018 after heart disease.
Indonesian Cancer Foundation chairman Aru Wisaksono Sudoyo, who also heads the Indonesian Oncology Association, said in Jakarta on Sunday that the high cost of cancer treatment was due to the lack of efforts at early detection. In fact, the treatment success rate would be higher if the cancer was diagnosed at an early stage of the disease.
"Early detection efforts are weak in developing countries such as Indonesia. More than 70 percent of patients come to the doctor with complications from cancer at an advanced stage, namely at stages three and four. This affects their productivity, and even costs the country,“ he said.
Anik Ismawati, 37, a single mother with four children who lives in Surabaya, for example, has stage IV breast cancer. She has been bedridden for the past three months, so her neighbors and the local government have been looking after her family’s welfare. She ignored a lump in her breast that appeared three years ago, because she thought it was harmless.
Aru said that cancer was abnormal cellular growth in the human body. Cancer cells can spread to other parts of the body and can be fatal. Some types of cancer were asymptomatic, but other types of cancer could be detected early, such as breast cancer, which start with an abnormal lump in the breast.
Cancer prevalence in women increased from 2.2 per 1,000 population in 2013 to 2.85 per 1,000 population in 2018, with breast and cervical cancer comprising the majority of cases.
Meanwhile, cancer prevalence in men increased from 0.6 per 1,000 population in 2013 to 0.74 per 1,000 population in 2018, with lung, colorectal, liver, and nasopharyngeal cancer making up the majority of cases.
The high number of cancer cases is caused by unhealthy lifestyles. It is believed that many people consume minimal amounts of vegetables and fruit.
The high number of cancer cases is caused by unhealthy lifestyles. It is believed that many people consume minimal amounts of vegetables and fruit. West Sumatra, for example, has a high number of cancer cases, with colon cancer the most prevalent. However, said West Sumatra Health Office head Merry Yuliesday, people had easy access to healthcare facilities following the implementation of the Healthy Indonesia Card national health insurance program.
Risk factors
According to disease prevention and control director general Anung Sugihantono of the Health Minstry, cancer treatments today were better and more advanced.
However, cancer prevention should start early by following a healthy lifestyle, such as exercising at least 30 minutes a day, not smoking, eating nutritionally balanced foods, and maintaining an ideal body weight. People were also advised to avoid carcinogenic foods that could cause cancer, including foods containing preservatives, and reducing the consumption of fast food.
Aru added the three main preventive factors – exercise, eating healthy foods, and maintaining an ideal weight – could reduce the risk of cancer by up to 35 percent.
“The competence of medical workers in detecting cancers, especially those at puskesmas [community health center], must also be improved. Cancer awareness must start from the community and health workers," he said. (TAN/ETA/BRO/JOL)