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International cancer experts, policy-makers to gather in İstanbul
Murat Gültekin, a member of the conference’s core organization and scientific committees and also part of the Turkish Health Ministry’s department of cancer control, explained in his comments to Sunday’s Zaman that Asia and the Pacific were facing a cancer crisis when compared to nations in the West. “In the West, they have been able to control the cancer problem to some extent. In many nations in Asia and the Pacific, however -- where over 60 percent of all cancer cases are diagnosed -- poverty is a problem that is compounded by a high incidence of cancer,” he said. Expressing hopes that the İstanbul conference would serve as a “bridge” for the exchange of ideas and methodologies in the fight against cancer, Gültekin explained that the conference would gather experts and policy-makers and discuss the national cancer treatment and prevention policies of the countries in the region.
Gültekin noted that heads and representatives of nearly 80 cancer associations from around the world would attend the conference. “It is appropriate that in İstanbul, which has united civilizations for centuries and served as a bridge between Asia and Europe, will now bring peoples together in the fight against cancer. Important results from this conference will include not just the exchange of ideas, but also concrete plans to improve national policies with regard to cancer,” he said.
He asserted that Turkey was a particularly appropriate venue for a conference on cancer due to its own high standard of dealing with the illness domestically. “Turkey is really exceeding the international standard when it comes to cancer treatment. We’ve increased screening, and unlike many nations in the world, including the West, cancer is an illness that is treated for free in this country,” he said. He also praised Turkey for producing leaders in the international fight against cancer, noting that Turks chaired nine to 10 major anti-cancer organizations, spanning areas such as South Korea, Thailand, China, Armenia, Russia and Georgia.
One of those leaders, Murat Tuncer, president of the APOCP and also head of the Health Ministry’s department of cancer control, also expressed the appropriateness of Turkey as a host of the conference: “This year in Turkey we’ve increased our drive for awareness. With the congress, we aim to unite the whole world on the topic of cancer in İstanbul. This will also support our own domestic drive against cancer.”
The congress will gather top names in the fight against cancer from nations including the United States, France, Australia, Britain, Canada, Japan and Korea. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Health Minister Recep Akdağ are expected to participate in the conference’s opening, while other top international leaders expected to attend include names such as princesses Ghida Talal and Dina Mired of Jordan, who lead national cancer institutions in their country.
According to a report prepared by the Health Ministry’s department of cancer control, cancer is second only to heart disease as the leading cause of death in the world and in Turkey. Statistics show that while the number of breast cancer patients in Turkey was 8,879 in 1999, this figure increased to 12,772 in 2003 and continues to rise. According to Tuncer, 150,000 people are diagnosed with cancer every year in Turkey. The most frequently seen types of cancer are lung cancer, stomach cancer, bladder cancer, colon cancer, larynx and prostate cancer in men and breast cancer in women.
Tuncer emphasized: “Cancer is preventable, and it is an illness that can be overcome. Simple measures like refraining from smoking, eating healthily, increasing physical activity and getting regular checkups and screenings can keep this illness far from our lives. We’re aware of this, and we’re going to beat cancer.”
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