Cancer Burden, Prevention, Treatment and Social Impact

Social and Medical Problems of Malignant Tumors

14. Social and medical problems of malignant tumors. The potential of prevention

Background

Incidence – 500/100,000

Increases > 70 years

• Mortality – 260/100,000
• 216 thousand hospitalizations
• Very serious and generally one of the most feared diseases

Most Frequent Tumours

• Men: Bronchi/Lung - Colorectal - Prostate - Kidney - Stomach
• Women: Breast - Cervical/Uterine - Colorectal - Bronchi/Lung - Kidney
• Multiple Primary Tumors – occurrence of more than one primary tumor at different sites in the body

(1/10 malignant tumors)

Mortality Rates: see table

Treatment

• Oncology departments
• New therapeutic methods
• Irradiation
• Chemotherapy
• Biological treatments
• Note:

The most frequent treatment: chemotherapy (41.4%) and radiotherapy (37.7%)

Prevention

• Health education
• Healthy lifestyle
• Healthy diet
• General Practitioner:

Preventive medical examinations
Screening of high-risk groups (e.g. smokers or workers in the chemical industry)

Effects

Medical:

• Frequent visits to specialists – oncologists
• Staying in hospital
• Surgical therapy
• Radiotherapy
• Chemotherapy
• Consumption of drugs

Economic:

Cytostatic drugs – decrease the patient's health status further

Inability to work
Job loss/change
Disability – disability pension

Social Effects:

• Family care
• Domiciliary care