Cancer Threatens Developing Countries
Monday, 25 February, 2008 | 17:46 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: The world, especially developing countries, is threatened by a boom in cancer for the next 25 years.

Professor Suhartati, Head of the Oncology Association, has estimated that 84 million people will die as a result of cancer.

“There will be an increase in the number of people with cancer by as much as 300 percent by 2030,” she said during the “Cancer Update 2008” seminar, part of the World Cancer Day event at the Borobudur Hotel on Saturday (23/2).

The cause of this, said Suhartati, is that cancer sufferers generally only consult their doctors when the disease is already in an advanced condition.

I Nyoman Kandun, Director General for Disease Control and a Healthy Environment, said that the main problem in handling this disease was the lack of public exposure to the disease.

“So there aren’t any early prevention actions,” he explained.

Therefore, the Health Department will prioritize handling from upstream in the form of preventive actions.

The department, said Nyoman, is running model cancer prevention projects in many areas, such as Goa Regency (South Sulawesi), Gresik (East Java) and Gunung Kidul (Yogyakarta).

Based on household health survey results, cancer is the fifth highest cause of death in Indonesia.

During the last 20 years, the number of cancer sufferers increased from 3.64 percent in 1981 to six percent in 2001.

It is estimated there will be 20 million new cases of cancer each year.

“In 2003 there were 10 million new cases of cancer,” said Nyoman.

For the time being, the Indonesian Cancer Foundation (YKI) will help with the cost of medication for cancer patients who cannot afford to pay, with a ceiling of Rp1.5 million.

For radiotherapy and operations, said Sumarjati Arjoso, YKI's Head of Education and Consultation, patients will pay some of the costs and the remainder will be paid by YKI donors.

PURBORINI | IQBAL MUHTAROM