Cancer Ranks as the Leading Cause of Death

MEMEDER Founder and Honorary President Prof. Dr. Vahit Özmen shared important information on cancer and breast cancer on 4 February, World Cancer Day. He noted that 20 million people were diagnosed with cancer globally last year and 10 million people died from cancer, emphasizing that cancer is the leading cause of death. 4 February is observed worldwide as World Cancer Day. On World Cancer Day, which brings together patient organizations related to cancer and health systems to increase public awareness of cancer and to share information on prevention, early diagnosis and effective treatment, MEMEDER Founder and Honorary President Prof. Dr. Vahit Özmen stated that 20 million people were diagnosed with cancer globally last year and 10 million people died from cancer. Özmen emphasized that cancer is the leading cause of death. MEMEDER Founder and Honorary President Prof. Dr. Vahit Özmen noted that 3 out of every 4 people newly diagnosed with cancer and dying from cancer worldwide live in developing countries like Turkey, and that deaths have decreased in developed countries through measures taken there. On the contrary, Prof. Dr. Vahit Özmen stated that due to lack of cancer awareness, failure to implement preventive measures, absence of screening methods, late diagnosis and inadequate treatment, deaths are increasing in developing countries.

Prof. Dr. Vahit Özmen cited cancer statistics in Turkey for 2018.

He emphasized that the most important problem is insufficient cancer awareness and particularly inadequate preventive measures, and added: 1- 210,000 people were diagnosed with cancer and 116,000 people died from cancer. 500,000 people continue to live with a cancer diagnosis. 2. In our country, 35,000 people were diagnosed with lung cancer and 25,000 women were diagnosed with breast cancer. 3. Both cancers are preventable. Very early diagnosis of breast cancer can be achieved through mammography. "For this purpose, the Breast Health Association (MEMEDER), which we founded in 2007 with scientists and women who survived cancer, has contributed over 13 years through its research to screening for breast cancer in Turkey, early diagnosis and public awareness. Research has been shared with the Ministry of Health Cancer Department and the screening age for mammography has been lowered to 40 in our country, and efforts have been made for early diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer through Cancer Early Diagnosis, Screening and Training Centers (KETEM) and mobile screening systems. Through our Bahçeşehir Mammography Screening Project, we have invited approximately 10,000 women to our center over 12 years for free screening and regular follow-up. In an article published recently in the British Journal of Cancer, it was shown that breast cancer mortality decreased by 40 percent in women who underwent mammographic screening when invited from home, as we do. Let us remember that mammography is the only screening method currently applied in all developed countries for early diagnosis of breast cancer and when detected early, it is completely curable. In conclusion, we can state that in our country where cancer incidence and related deaths are increasing, many cancers can be prevented, early diagnosis can be achieved through screening methods, and modern treatment methods and medications are quite successful."