XN000022-1976-07-08 — Page 4

THURSDAY, JULY 8, 1976 ·

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CANCER

NUMBER ONE KILLER DISEASE IN HK RK ******

CANCER AND HEART DISEASES HAVE NOW TOPPED THE LIST OF 10 LEADING CAUSES OF DEATH IN HONG KONG, FOLLOWING SUCCESSES IN CONTROLLING INFECTIOUS DISEASES SUCH AS TUBERCULOSIS, ONCE THE NUMBER ONE KILLER DISEASE.

THE DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES, DR. G.H. CHOA, SAID THIS IN A TALK TO THE LIONS CLUB OF HONG KONG CENTRAL THIS AFTERNOON.

HE POINTED OUT THAT CANCER NOW ACCOUNTED FOR 24 PER CENT AND HEART DISEASE 15.6 PER CENT OF ALL DEATHS IN HONG KONG WHILE TUBERCULOSIS DROPPED TO SEVENTH PLACE WITH ONLY THREE PER CENT.

DR. CHOA SAID THE PRINCIPLES INVOLVED IN PREVENTING CANCER ARE TO AVOID EXPOSURE TO CAUSATIVE AGENTS AND TO PROTECT AGAINST THE ACTION OF CAUSATIVE AGENTS.

HOWEVER, AS THE NATURE OF THE DISEASE WAS NOT CLEARLY UNDERSTOOD AND THE CAUSES WERE NOT WELL-DEFINED, THERE ARE AS YET NO DIRECT EFFECTIVE MEASURES TO PREVENT CANCER OR, SIMILARLY, HEART DISEASE, HE SAID.

THE DIRECTOR SAID THAT THE COMMONLY OCCURRING CANCERS IN HONG KONG ARE CANCERS OF THE LIVER, NASOPHARYNX, BREAST AND CERVIX, THOUGH BY AND LARGE THE CAUSATIVE AGENTS ARE UNKNOWN.

+ IT IS CLEAR THAT UNLESS WE CAN IDENTIFY THE CAUSATIVE AGENTS WE CANNOT AVOID EXPOSURE TO THEM OR BE PROTECTED AGAINST THEM,+ HE ADDED.

DR. CHOA SAID ONE VERY IMPORTANT PREVENTIVE MEASURE AGAINST CANCER THAT COULD BE ADOPTED WAS TO DETECT IT AT THE EARLIEST POSSIBLE STAGE BY VARIOUS SCREENING METHODS AND TESTS.

CANCERS OF THE BREAST AND CERVIX, FOR INSTANCE, COULD BE DETECTED EARLY, ESPECIALLY THE LATTER THROUGH ROUTINE CYTOLOGICAL EXAMINATION.

DR. CHOA ADVISED THE PUBLIC TO WATCH OUT FOR THE FOLLOWING WARNING SIGNALS ISSUED BY THE AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY : CHANGE IN BOWEL AND BLADDER HABITS, A SORE THAT DOES NOT HEAL, UNUSUAL BLEEDING OR DISCHARGE, THICKENING OR LUMP IN BREAST OR ELSEWHERE, INDIGESTION OR DIFFICULTY IN SWALLOWING, OBVIOUS CHANGE IN A WART OR MOLE AND HAGGING COUGH OR HOARSENESS.

TURNING TO HEART DISEASE, DR. CHOA SAID PEOPLE SHOULD BE AWARE OF SUCH RISK FACTORS AS HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE, RAISED BLOOD FATS, SMOKING, OBESITY AND PHYSICAL INACTIVITY.

/HE SAID