Professor cites possible high oral cancer rate in country

The National National

THERE is a high prevalence of oral cancer in Papua New Guinea though the true figures are unknown, Professor Leonard Crocombe says.
Crocombe, who was a visiting lecturer to the University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG) school of medicine and health sciences (SMHS), said more PNG-based research was needed around oral cancer.
He was presenting a paper at the 56th Medical Symposium of the Medical Society of PNG yesterday.
He stressed that there was a need for cancer registry in the country and it had to be established with information accessible to researchers.
Crocombe said the risk factors of oral cancer in PNG was tobacco, betel nuts, as well as the combination of tobacco and betel nut and lime.
He said it was also important to have programmes that would empower people to take ownership of their health and wellbeing.
Crocombe said prevention was important and there were three levels of prevention:

  • PRIMARY prevention – intervening before the health effect occur through measures such as vaccination, altering risk behaviours and banning of substances known to be associated with a disease or health condition;
  • SECONDARY prevention – screening to identify disease in the earliest stages before the onset of signs and symptoms; and,
  • TERTIARY prevention – managing disease post diagnosis to show or stop disease progression through measure such as chemotherapy, rehabilitation and screening for complications.

“Tertiary prevention is expensive and once diagnosed, oral cancer has a low five-year survival rate,” he said.
“Primary prevention leading to behaviour change is difficult and needs to be community led.
“Secondary prevention such as early screening needs to be further developed.”
Crocombe said betel nut chewing was a behaviour that was difficult to change but it could be changed if the person set his/her mind to it.