The FINANCIAL — Smoking, stress, environmental pollution/toxins and genetics are but a few in the list of the predominant causes of an increased number of cancer deaths in Georgia, claim key oncologists.
The FINANCIAL — Smoking, stress, environmental pollution/toxins and genetics are but a few in the list of the predominant causes of an increased number of cancer deaths in Georgia, claim key oncologists.
In accordance with 2009/10 mortality figures combined, roughly 8,000 deaths were reported due to different cancerous diseases all over Georgia. Cancer is the second biggest killer after cardio vascular mortalities which reach 14,000 a year on average, that’s according to the latest data by Geostat, the National Statistics Office of Georgia.
Among Georgian women breast and cervical cancers are the two most commonly found diseases whilst in men lung, stomach, colorectal and prostate cancers take the lead.
George Gabunia, oncologist, with an MA from Boston University’s School of Public Health, currently heads “Tbilisi Cancer Center” located in Dighomi. As he says, cancer awareness has improved in Georgia although certain challenges still remain. “In the early 1990s people were so afraid of cancer that if they saw someone they knew had the disease walking toward them down the road, they would avoid meeting them at all costs and in fact more often than not they would cross over to the other side of the road to avoid them.”
Gabunia has been involved in cancer preventive programmes in Georgia since the collapse of the Soviet Union. He first served as a surgeon-senior scientist at the National Cancer Center, then worked in the Ministry of Labour, Health and Social Affairs and finally founded the Cancer Center in Tbilisi soon after the Rose Revolution.
As he says, the average Georgian, no matter whether male or female, will not go to the doctor and do simple screening tests until they have noticed some advanced signs of the disease. “For example, I have had hundreds of cases of women coming to our centre to have a mammogram test whose breasts are in such serious condition that blood is even coming out of the nipple.”
“In early 1990 when I was working at the National Cancer Center I remember that 80/90% of patients had 3rd-4th stage cancer and we had only palliative care to offer them, which is ineffective in most cases. What’s crucial to know about cancer is that early detection and treatment can prevent and treat 75 percent of cancers. In Georgia, thanks to generous support from UNFPA (United Nation’s Population Fund) and Tbilisi City Hall, there exists the National Screening Center which covers not only Tbilisi but all the regions of Georgia. They offer different kinds of screenings for free, i.e. breast and cervical cancer screening for women in high risk age groups, prostate screening, bowel screening etc,” said Gabunia.
According to the International Agency for Cancer Research 2008 which provides the latest five year statistics about cancer incidence and mortality worldwide – the prevalence of lung cancer is more noticeable in Georgia than in Armenia whilst in Azerbaijan breast and stomach cancers take the lead.
Cost of Cancer Treatment in Georgia — As Gabunia told The FINANCIAL, due to the fact that cancer mostly gets diagnosed in people when the tumours have spread from their original location to many cells, it’s really hard to cure the patient through simple surgery or radiation treatment. This is a phase when chemical/hormone therapy and other serious treatments get prescribed. The cost of the latter therapy may start from GEL 2,000 and can go up to GEL 100,000 or sometimes even those same amounts in USD, it all depends on the stage and location of the disease.
“Unfortunately in Georgia, we still don’t have good insurance policies which would thoroughly cover the cost of cancer treatment. For insured people a private insurance company covers a certain part of the treatment. But the thing is the majority of patients, from what I’ve seen, don’t have any insurance at all.”
“Separately the cost of chemical therapy starts from minimum GEL 1,000 and may go up to GEL 10,000 depending on the kind of medicine and quality being used. Chemical therapy is usually done a minimum of six times. Due to all this it’s preferable for society to become more aware of the disease, to run screenings and get medical check-ups frequently in order to prevent further complications and at the same time prevent the need to have to press families/friends in extreme circumstances.”
“Also the insurance system needs to be improved and family doctors should be very active in looking out for, and diagnosing any cases of cancer in the early stages. And lastly, the most important point is the introduction of a National Cancer Registry which unfortunately isn’t done very well here yet.”
“If the above given procedures have not been met then any chemical and radiation therapy or operations won’t be much help – the effectiveness is very low, which is the same the world over.”
Causes of Cancer — “Cancer usually appears in the human body when one is still in the active process of looking after a family or otherwise busily employed.”
“In Georgia, in most cases when such a person (who has a family) gets the disease then there is usually a huge problem in paying for the medicine or surgery. Sometimes the amount that they have to pay reaches in to the tens of thousands of USD and that’s if getting treatment locally, while if they are going abroad then the amount can double/triple. When a person is diagnosed with cancer it is not only hard for the individual themselves to register but also greatly difficult for the whole family, relatives, friends to deal with emotionally, not to mention financially,” said Gabunia.
“As for genetic factors: we have had cases when starting from grandparents whole generations have died due to different types of cancer. Last year, the main onco-gynaecologist in Tbilisi died from cancer – and his family members too, his young sister, mother, grandmother all died due to different cancerous diseases – so we know that genetic factors do play a role in the occurrence of cancer.”
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