Durban — According to the Department of Health, over one-third of cancers are preventable, which means cancer risk can be reduced.
The Deputy Minister of Health Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo said cancer was the second leading cause of death globally.
Dhlomo said this on World Cancer Awareness Day which is held annually on February 4 to raise awareness, improve education and increase access to life-saving cancer treatment.
As the day was commemorated across the globe on Saturday, it was under the theme #CloseTheCareGap.
He said lung, prostate, colorectal, stomach and liver cancer were the most common types of cancer in men. He said breast, colorectal, lung, cervical and thyroid cancer were the most common among women.
“The burden of cancer continues to grow globally, exerting physical, emotional and financial strain on individuals, families, communities and health systems,” said Dlomo.
Furthermore, the department urged South Africans to go for regular cancer screening and testing for early detection, prevention, risk reduction and successful treatment.
KwaZulu-Natal Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane urged women to take it upon themselves to learn more about cancer, as it always posed a lingering health threat – which when detected too late, was deadly.
She said according to the National Cancer Registry (2017), one in 26 women in South Africa were at risk of developing breast cancer; while 16% of cancer deaths were attributed to breast cancer.
She added that cervical cancer, meanwhile, affected 1 in 40 women, and was said to kill up to 3 500 women per year in South Africa.
Breast cancer, cervical cancer, colorectal cancer (cancer of the colon and cancer of the rectum), lung cancer and prostate cancer complete the top 5 most common cancers in South Africa.
Speaking on her department’s weekly multimedia programme KZN Health Chat near Port Shepstone on Saturday, Simelane said early detection of cancer could lead to effective treatment and a positive prognosis.
She said about 90% of patients survived for many years after diagnosis when breast cancer was detected during its early stages.
“Regular self-breast examination is key to early detection. Mammograms are recommended for women who have risk factors for breast cancer, such as a family history of breast cancer,” she said.
She said men aged 45 and above who had a history of prostate cancer in the family, were encouraged to get screened for prostate cancer.
“Patients who notice possible symptoms of cancer are urged to visit their nearest primary health-care clinic, where they will be screened and referred to the appropriate higher-level health-care institution for testing and further management. The three most common treatments for cancer are surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. These may be applied on their own or in combination with one another, by a team of health-care professionals,” said Simelane.
Ugu district-based gynaecologist Dr Thandekile Khumalo urged women aged 30 and above to get a Pap smear.
“If you experience abnormal bleeding, or you bleed after sexual intercourse, or if you bleed long after menopause, we call on you to visit your nearest clinic and seek help, so you can be examined. If you have any discharge that seems abnormal, do not rush to start using herbal cures and start inserting things down there. Help is at hand,” said Khumalo.
Khumalo said those who were HIV-positive if their Pap smear results are normal, must undergo a Pap smear every three years. Those who are not HIV-positive, from the age of 30, should get a Pap smear, and after 10 years thereafter, until the age of 50.
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