Thursday 4 February 2016 will be recognised globally as World Cancer Day, bringing together people across the globe with a view to raising public awareness and encouraging governments to intensify their fight against the disease.
The global cancer epidemic is considerable in its current context and does not show signs of abating, with 8.2 million people dying worldwide of the illness annually. 4 million of these deaths are premature, that is to say amongst those aged 30-69.
To encourage people to act and make a valuable contribution towards reducing these figures, this year's World Cancer Day will present the opportunity to launch an international campaign for 2016-18, under the slogan 'We Can. I Can'.
Luxembourg has certainly not escaped cancer's clutches, with the disease representing the leading cause of death among men (33.9%) and the second leading cause among women (27.1%), behind cardiovascular disease. In 2014, cancer was responsible for 30.6% of all deaths, or 1,164. The most common cancers for men, according to the Directorate of Health's January 2016 report 'Statistics on Causes of Death for 2014', are lung and bronchial, colon, prostate and pancreatic, whilst for women prevalent cancers were found to be breast, lung and bronchial, pancreatic and colon.
However, steps have been taken in the fight against cancer, with the National Cancer Plan (PNC) 2014-2018 aiming to reduce the medium-term risk factors and the incidence of cancer, improve the quality of life for people treated for cancer, decrease the disease's mortaltiy rate and reduce the inequalities in access to care.
Under the PNC, the National Cancer Institute was established in July 2015, which compiled a list of rare or complex cancers which can now benefit from a multidisciplinary consultation between medical specialists in Luxembourg and reference centres abroad in order to determine the best therapeutic strategy. In addition,, the establishment of a national paediatric haemotology-oncology sector has enabled children and under 18s with cancer to be treated in Luxembourg whilst benefitting from foreign expertise. As well as monitoring around 100 to 110 children with cancer or haemotological-oncological diseases, this sector helps to ensure that the child can remain close to their family, social group and school, and that the parents affected can maintain employment whilst supporting their child.
The Luxembourg Ministry of Health has stated that early detection through organised screening is the most achievable way of reducing cancer mortality and increasing chances of survival, as discovering cancer in its early stage generally involves a less invasive and expensive treatment.
A screening programme for colorectal cancer, the second leading cause of cancer death amongst Luxembourg's men and the fourth leading cause amongst the female population, is being offered during the first half of 2016 to anyone aged between 55 and 74 years old. The 'Mammography' progamme invites women between the ages of 50 and 69 to be examined every two years, to combat breast cancer which represented the leading cause of cancer-related death in female residents of Luxembourg in 2014. It aims to reduce the number of breast biopsies performed for benign lesions, improve the medical care of women whose breast cancer was detected and ultimately reduce breast cancer mortality.
In addition, in 2008 Luxembourg implemented a vaccination programme against the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) which is offered to girls aged 12 to 14. According to the Ministry of Health, 75% of cervical cancers can be prevented through vaccination.
The Ministry of Health has also urged the population to consider reducing key risk factors as a means of combatting cancer, including smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, obesity and sedentary lifestyles. The Ministry of Health developed the 'National Tobacco Plan 2016-2020' to prevent smoking amongst children and young people, support for smokers looking to kick the habit and the protection of the population against passive smoking; the 'National Plan to Prevent Alcohol Abuse', particularly targeted at Luxembourg's youth; and 'Gesond iessen, méi bewegen' to promote healthy eating and exercise habits.
Additional guidance the Ministry has provided to avoid cancer risks:
- Quit smoking;
- Do not consume more than two drinks a day for men and one for women, and observe at least two alcohol-free days a week;
- Avoid prolonged exposure to the sun or solariums;
- Maintain a normal body weight through a healthy balanced diet;
- Engage in at least 30 minutes of daily physical activity for adults, and 60 minutes for children.
For more information, visit www.sante.lu.
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