World Cancer Day is an international day marked on February 4 to raise awareness of cancer, and to encourage its prevention, early detection, treatment and care of patients suffering from cancer.
World Cancer Day originated from 2000 when the first World Summit Against Cancer was held in Paris. At this meeting, leaders of government agencies and cancer organizations from around the world signed the Charter of Paris Against Cancer.
Under the theme “I Am and I Will” the World Health Organization wants to highlight that everyone can make a commitment and contribute to reduce the growing global impact of cancer.
Cancer is one of the leading causes of death globally. The WHO estimates that by 2040, the number of new cancer cases per year is expected to rise to 29.5 million and the number of cancer-related deaths to 16.4 million.
The most common cancers are lung cancer, colon cancer, stomach cancer, liver cancer and breast cancer.
Bosnia and Herzegovina still does not have a common registry for cancer at the state level, but Prim. Dr. Hasan Osmić, oncologist and head of the Department for Radiotherapy at the Clinic of Oncology and Radiotherapy, University Clinical Center Tuzla said that there is an internal registry of cancer with entered 1350 newly- discovered cases for the year 2020. “ The most common cancers are of digestive organs followed by the lung and breast cancer. Modern medicine has advanced much, and nowadays is much easier to detect malignant disease. Due to prolonged life expectancy, people today are more likely to get cancer in old age. “ said Dr. Osmić.
In addition to genetic risk factors that we cannot influence on, there are many risk factors that enhance the development of malignant diseases but we can control them. At least one third of malignant tumors can be prevented, if we act according to scientifically proved recommendations for cancer prevention.
” If we talk about prevention, early detection and diagnosis, then people aged between 20 and 40 years should have preventive check- ups, which includes counselings focused on risk factors, check- ups of oral cavity, thyroid gland, lymph nodes, testicles, ovaries and skin. Every year these check- ups should have all persons over the age of 40. The recommendation is that women over the age of 40 should consider basic mammography as a diagnostic procedure aimed for early detection of breast cancer. Early diagnosis should be a priority and the aim of oncology in general is to clarify the causes and the way of onset malignant diseases, their prevention and treatment. All this embraces the war against cancer, as one of the biggest global burden that threatens to become even greater burden in the future.” explained Dr. Osmić
Different cancer treatments that are performed in western countries are also available to the patients in Bosnia and Herzegovina. “We have good surgical teams which are very important in the primary treatment, respectively removal of cancer. In the second line of treatment is radiotherapy, and we have several centers in our country. The next modality of treatment is systemic therapy- cytostatics, hormonal therapy, to which patients suffering from prostate and breast cancers respond very well, and immunotherapy all available to our patients.” said Dr. Osmić