Between 2012–2021, a total of 521 new cases of cancer have been recorded in the area of the oral cavity, salivary glands, oropharynx and tonsils, according to figures from the Health Monitoring Unit, Minister of Health Michael Damianos said on Friday at a conference of Dental Services in the context of Oral Cancer Prevention Week.
He also said that in the last five years, approximately 60 new cases have been diagnosed annually, with men being twice as likely to be affected as women.
According to the Minister, 41% of these cases are detected at an early stage, which contributes to a better prognosis of the course of the disease and in 6% of cases, metastases are detected.
He referred to the initiative for the establishment of Oral Cancer Prevention Week 12 years ago, when Dr. Christina Yiannaki, now Permanent Secretary of the Health Ministry was Head of the Dental Services, adding that the Week’s actions are enriched and upgraded every year.
Damianos said that the Ministry, following the basic principles of the European Cancer Strategy, implements health policies that aim both at the prevention and effective treatment of the disease.
At the same time, it invests in cross-sectoral collaborations, recognizing that chronic non-communicable diseases, which are also the main causes of death in developed countries, have common risk factors, such as smoking, alcohol and increased sugar consumption.
( Source: CNA)
