Abdi İbrahim Draws Attention to Cancer Week

Abdi İbrahim, leader in the Turkish pharmaceutical sector, shared information and data on the occasion of Cancer Awareness Week, 1-7 April. Cancer, the disease causing the most deaths worldwide after cardiovascular disease, develops as a result of 90 percent environmental factors. Adhering to rules such as healthy nutrition, exercise and avoiding tobacco products makes this disease preventable by up to 50 percent. Within the scope of Cancer Awareness Week, organized annually between 1-7 April with the aim of making more effective use of results obtained through advances in technology and medicine and raising awareness, Abdi İbrahim Medical Directorate has also compiled highly striking information. Cancer ranks as the health issue causing the most deaths worldwide, immediately following heart and cardiovascular diseases. In Western societies, one in every 250-350 people develops cancer each year. In those over 60 years of age, this rate increases further, reaching 4-5 people per 300. According to World Health Organization 2020 data, the three most frequently observed cancer types in Turkey, considering both genders, are lung, breast and colorectal cancer, respectively; in men the three most frequently observed cancer types are lung, prostate and colorectal cancer; while in women they are breast, thyroid and colorectal cancer.

90 percent environmental, 10 percent genetic factors

Cancer, a health issue whose diagnosis and treatment require cooperation among many medical specialties, is a disease that develops due to 90 percent environmental and 10 percent genetic factors. By preventing exposure to major environmental factors such as tobacco use, alcohol consumption, obesity and infections, it is known that cancer can be prevented at a rate of 30-50 percent today. Particularly given that its occurrence can be prevented, that death can be prevented through screening, and that early diagnosis greatly improves quality of life, the importance of prevention becomes even greater. Healthy nutrition, increased physical activity, reduced salt use, and non-use of tobacco and tobacco products play a very effective role not only in cancer prevention, but in protection against all types of diseases including COVID-19. Given the importance of early diagnosis, the frequency recommended by the Ministry of Health for cancer screening is as follows: • Mammography screening for women aged 40-69 every 2 years • Cervical cancer screening for women aged 30-65 every 5 years • Colorectal cancer screening for women and men aged 50-70 every 2 years

Oncology investments by Abdi İbrahim

In recent years, biotechnology-based drugs have begun to replace chemical chemotherapy drugs, which are predominantly used in cancer treatment. Accordingly, the pharmaceutical industry has also begun to invest more in biotechnology-based drugs. Abdi İbrahim, which has led the Turkish pharmaceutical sector for 20 years, opened its biotechnology-based drug manufacturing facility AbdiBio in 2018 within this scope. With just one biosimilar oncology drug launched on the market in 2018, Abdi İbrahim also enabled the state to save USD 35 million in pharmaceutical expenditures. Abdi İbrahim will also produce oncology products at its Sterile Injectable and Oncology Manufacturing Facility, which is currently under construction.