Focus on treating cancer

A WORLDWIDE annual campaign takes place this month – October, involving thousands of organisations and that is to highlight the importance of breast awareness, education and research on breast cancer.
Breast cancer is the second most common cancer in women after skin cancer.
And cancer is an unkind disease that knows no boundaries and does not select who to attack and it can bring down one very fast when it attacks.
Breast cancer is increasing at an alarming rate amongst young women in developing countries.
In Papua New Guinea, the incidence of breast cancer is the second highest after cervical cancer and is the top five cause of mortality due to cancer.
The number of breast cancer patients has been shown to increase per year over the years.
And most are late clinical presentation, poor oncology and supporting care, high rate of treatment failures and defaulters are major causes of poor outcomes.
Cancer in all forms will continue to be a leading cause of death into the future, and patients and families will need care, support and realistic expectations to cope with it.
A patient’s battle in hopes of defeating it is often a long one.
The process is painful, depressing and heartbreaking for everyone involved.
Virtually everyone knows someone who has been affected by the disease.
While we appreciate everyone’s effort to raise funds in carrying out awareness, let us take a moment to think about those who have been diagnosed with cancer.
For them, it is not just talk, cancer is real. Most know there is no hope, it is just a matter of time before they leave behind their loved ones.
Let us be more sensitive.
Cancer awareness can be disrespectful to some patients and discredits the disease’s impact on their families through misleading marketing efforts.
What they want to hear is treatment – how to treat cancer?
Only those who have lost a loved one to cancer know that Papua New Guinea is a long way away from providing effective and efficient treatment for cancer patients in the country.
While those who can afford overseas treatment go, spare a thought about another cancer patient who does not have that luxury of doing that.
Life can be very unfair but that is reality here in PNG and no it’s not a bad dream.
Just stop and think about what they go through every day.
For the affected and their families, advocacy will not stop the pain on how cancer has changed their life.
Currently there is no sufficient knowledge on the causes of breast cancer, therefore, early detection of the disease remains the cornerstone of breast cancer control.
When breast cancer is detected early, and if adequate diagnosis and treatment are available, there is a good chance that breast cancer can be cured.
We agree with the advocacy to inform people about risk factors, early detection etc but once cancer is detected, where do we go from there?
Diagnostic facilities, scanning facilities, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, hormonal therapy, molecular diagnosis, radio and brachytherapy.
If all these are not available immediately in a one stop shop, early cancer detection is useless.
The focus on the many different awareness events in the country should include raising funds to purchase the necessary equipment.
Today, everyone is encouraging and supporting widespread education and frequent medical examinations but the truth is we have a long way to go in this battle.