This Sunday is World Cancer Day, an international day created to raise awareness about cancer and promote education regarding the prevention, detection, and treatment of this disease. It is also a day when people around the world come together to show support for those affected by cancer and to celebrate progress in the fight against this disease.
Everyone knows someone close to them who has died of cancer. For example, one of my best friends died at a young age after having multiple brain tumors. He left behind his wife and 2 small children…
More people with cancer
In the past year, more people were diagnosed with cancer in the Netherlands than the year before, namely 128.000 new cases. This is a slight increase that is in line with expectations, given the growth of the population and the fact that there are more and more elderly people.
There are currently approximately 900.000 people living in the Netherlands who have or have had cancer. What is striking is that not every type of cancer is detected equally quickly. With some types, such as thyroid cancer, uterine cancer and skin cancer (melanoma), there is a good chance that the disease will be found early. This happens in about 70% of cases. But in other types, such as cancers of the esophagus, stomach, bile ducts and pancreas, the disease is often discovered late, in only about 10% of cases.
How early or late cancer is discovered can mean a lot for the treatment and the chance of recovery. Cancers that are discovered late, such as those in the lungs, stomach, esophagus or pancreas, often do not cause symptoms until they are more advanced. This makes it more difficult to treat them early.
The introduction of population screenings has helped to find some types of cancer earlier. Thanks to these studies, breast and colon cancer are now more often detected at an early stage. For breast cancer, the percentage of early diagnoses increased from 28% in the late 80s to 45% in 2022. For colon cancer, this increased from 19% to 25%. More cases of skin cancer and prostate cancer are also being detected early. Lung cancer, on the other hand, is now more often found at a late stage, because modern techniques make it easier to find metastases.
Interestingly, the chance of detecting cancer early depends on both the type of cancer and the availability and use of screening. Early detection can lead to better treatment options and a greater chance of recovery.
Lots of liver cancer in Thailand
Cancer is also a major health problem in Thailand. However, the country is making progress in cancer research and treatment through important projects such as the Genomics Thailand project, which aims to improve diagnosis and treatment using whole-genome sequencing* for 10.000 cancer patients.
Special attention is paid to liver cancer**, the most common cancer in Thailand, with specific research into its molecular pathogenesis. In addition, Thailand actively participates in more than 40 sponsored clinical trials annually, targeting various types of cancer, and is establishing collaborative networks to improve cancer studies and clinical trials.
*Whole-genome sequencing is a way to view all the information from a person's DNA. It looks at every piece of DNA to see what makes someone unique. This helps doctors better understand and treat diseases, because they can see exactly what genetic differences exist. This allows them to choose treatments that best match a person's personal DNA, which is especially useful when treating cancer.
**Liver cancer is common in Thailand because many people there ingest a certain parasite by eating raw or undercooked fish. This parasite can cause damage to the liver, which increases the risk of liver cancer. This is especially a problem in northeastern Thailand.