Cancer Risk Increases at a Young Age, Early Detection Needs to Be More Intensive

Cancer at a young age is increasing because the risk factors in society are increasing. Early detection must be intensified.

KOMPAS/ZULKARNAINI

Coffee shop customers in Banda Aceh, Aceh are smoking, on Saturday (20/7/2019). Smoking at a young age increases the risk of cancer.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS - Cases of cancer at a young age are increasingly being reported. Apart from improving awareness of early detection, risk factors in society are also increasing. Education and early detection need to continue to be improved as well as expanding health service facilities, especially cancer services.

The General Chair of the Indonesian Cancer Foundation (YKI), Aru Wisaksono Sudoyo, stated that cancer cases are reported to be increasing. In fact, the cancer rate is estimated to not decrease for the next 100 years. The large risk factors in society are one of the causes.

"We cannot deny that the risk factors for cancer from the environment and lifestyle are increasing, leading to a faster risk of developing cancer. That is why more and more cases of cancer are being found in younger age groups," he said during the celebration of the 47th Anniversary of the Indonesian Cancer Foundation in Jakarta on Tuesday (23/4/2024).

Also read: Cancer Surge among Young People

The increasing cases of cancer among young people, as stated by Aru, are found in cases of colon cancer. Previously, cases of colon cancer found in those under 40 years old were only around 10 percent. However, at present, cases of cancer in those under 40 years old have reached 30 percent.

In addition, citing research results published in the open access journalBMJ Oncology on September 5 2023, cancer cases in the young adult age group under 50 years have increased significantly. In 2019, new cancer diagnoses among people under 50 years of age amounted to 1.82 million people, an increase of 79 percent compared to 1990 figures.

The study also found that as many as 1.06 million people under the age of 50 died of cancer in 2019. This figure increased by 28 percent compared to the number in 1990.

The risk of cancer from the environment and lifestyle is increasing so that the risk of getting cancer becomes faster.

Aru stated that an unhealthy modern lifestyle is considered the main risk factor causing an increase in cancer cases in the community, especially among young age groups. People are now more exposed to fast food, and physical activity is also decreasing. This risk is further exacerbated by smoking habits.

Also read: Young Age, Lifestyle, and Cancer Risk

"So, we know that dietary factors alone pose a 35 percent risk of cancer. Not to mention smoking at 30 percent and lack of exercise as well. So, indeed our world strongly supports the growth of cancer," he said.

Early detection

According to Aru, education on the risks of cancer needs to be strengthened. It is hoped that the community can become more aware of the risk factors of cancer so that lifestyle changes can be made for the better. In addition, early detection also needs to be improved.

KOMPAS/AYU SULISTYOWATI

Medical personnel from the Badung District Health Office in Bali are examining a mother using breast cancer detection equipment aboard a free health service bus at the Pura Desa lan Puseh Desa Kapal courtyard in April 2017.

According to him, early detection is a concrete effort in cancer treatment and prevention to prevent it from worsening. Early detection should be more intensified in the midst of growing cancer risks in the community.

Treatment for cancer has been improved with technological advancements. However, the recovery rate would be higher if cancer can be detected earlier in its initial stages. Treatment given at the later stages requires more complicated therapy with greater funding.

Without more effective interventions through prevention and early detection, the burden of cancer in the community's health care will continue to increase. Data from the Social Security Administering Agency for Health (BPJS) in 2023 show that cancer is the second largest catastrophic disease after heart disease. The cost of cancer reaches Rp 5.9 trillion with 3.8 million cases, while the burden of cost for heart disease is Rp 17.6 trillion for around 20 million cases.

"This cancer is expensive because most cases are found in advanced stages. Compared to heart disease, the cost of cancer is higher because the number of cases is also not as high as heart disease. In addition, cancer found in later stages has a low chance of recovery and comes with high costs. Therefore, early detection is very important," he said.

Middle group

On the same occasion, Chairman of YKI DKI Jakarta Branch and staff member of the Department of Internal Medicine, Hematology Division Oncology Medical Faculty of Medicine, University of Indonesia-Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital, Nadia Ayu Mulansari, said, early detection Cancer also needs to be focused on groups of people with a middle economic level. This is because awareness regarding the risk of cancer is good in this group, but is often not accompanied by awareness of early detection.

"This middle (middle economic) group is usually not used to going to community health centers, while they also rarely come to the hospital unless there is a complaint. "They (the middle economic group) are also busy from Monday to Saturday, while also having to take care of the household, so they don't have time or are aware of early detection," he said.

Also read: New Cancer Cases Among Young Adults Increase Drastically

According to Nadia, this makes cancer detection services, even if already available in health centers, still insufficient in reaching groups of middle-class communities. Early detection services also need to be expanded by bringing early detection facilities closer to offices or government agencies.

"We from YKI DKI have tried to provide early detection services as well as education about cancer in offices for employees and their families. Apparently, there is quite a lot of interest. So, they actually have awareness, but are not willing to take the time to do the examination," said Nadia.