FRIDAY, DECEMBER 12, 1986
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CANCER DEATHS ON THE RISE
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CANCER HAS BEEN THE NUMBER ONE KILLER IN HONG KONG SINCE 1964 WITH THE NUMBER OF DEATHS RISING FROM 2 916 A YEAR THEN TO 7 535 IN 1985.
THE DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES, DR K.L. THONG, STATED THIS TODAY (FRIDAY) WHEN GIVING HIS PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS AT THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF THE HONG KONG ANTI-CANCER SOCIETY.
DR THONG SAID THE RISE IN THE NUMBER OF CANCER DEATHS COULD NOT BE ATTRIBUTED TO THE GROWTH IN POPULATION ALONE.
FOR MALES, HE SAID, IN THE LAST 20 YEARS THE DEATH RATE HAD RISEN FROM 90.9 TO 163.6 PER 100 000 POPULATION WHILE THAT FOR FEMALES HAD RISEN FROM 75.4 TO 112.5 PER 100 000 POPULATION.
DR THONG POINTED OUT THAT LUNG CANCER REMAINED THE LEADING CAUSE OF CANCER DEATHS AND IT WAS CONSIDERED TO BE ONE OF THE WORST KILLERS AS TREATMENT RESULTS HAD REMAINED DISAPPOINTING.
+IRONICALLY, LUNG CANCER WAS THE ONE CANCER THAT WAS LARGELY PREVENTABLE AS THE MOST IMPORTANT RISK FACTOR HAD BEEN KNOWN FOR A LONG TIME TO BE CIGARETTE SMOKING,+ HE ADDED.
HE SAID THAT ALTHOUGH MOST SMOKERS WERE AWARE OF THE LINK BETWEEN SMOKING AND LUNG CANCER LARGELY THROUGH PUBLIC HEALTH EDUCATION, UNFORTUNATELY MANY STILL FOUND IT DIFFICULT TO GIVE UP THE SMOKING HABIT.
THE ANTI-CANCER SOCIETY HAD BEEN EXTREMELY BUSY LAST YEAR IN THE FIGHT AGAINST TOBACCO CONSUMPTION IN MANY WAYS.
DR THONG NOTED THAT THE GOVERNMENT, BEING FULLY COMMITTED TO THE ANTI-SMOKING CAUSE, HAD ALSO BEEN STEPPING UP ITS LEGISLATIVE EFFORTS.
HE SAID THAT AN IMPORTANT ASPECT OF THE CONSTANT BATTLE AGAINST CANCER WAS STILL THE CARE OF THOSE WHO WERE STRICKEN BY THE DISEASE.
+CARE OF THE DYING IS AN ART WHICH HAS TO BE CULTIVATED AND REQUIRES REAL COMPASSION AND LOVE FROM THOSE WHO ARE CARING FOR SUCH PATIENTS, HE EXPLAINED.
HE FELT THAT IT WAS ONLY LOGICAL THAT CARE OF CANCER PATIENTS IN HOSPITALS SHOULD BE STRENGTHENED.
DR THONG ALSO TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO THANK ALL FRIENDS AND SUPPORTERS OF THE ANTI-CANCER SOCIETY AS WELL AS OFFICE BEARERS FOR THEIR HARD WORK AND DEDICATION IN THE PAST YEAR.
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