The management of the National Health Center RBC, announced that the number of people suffering from cancer is increasing and the number of people dying, however, there is the possibility of treatment if a person is diagnosed early.
If you do an exercise among the people close to you, and ask them if any of them have been diagnosed with cancer, you may find a few. Those who suffer from it today are mostly those who know that they have reached the clinic. Breast Cancer is one of the growing diseases among Rwandans and the population of the world in general, and the World Health Organization,
WHO, shows that every year there are 20 million new cancer patients, while the number of deaths is 10 million per year, These statistics show that in 2040, cancer patients will increase by 60%, that is, up to 30 million people, There are six hospitals in Rwanda that diagnose and treat cancer. Only the health authorities show that the number of people who are diagnosed with cancer continues to increase.
The Director of the Anti-Cancer Department at RBC, Dr Théoneste Maniragaba told the Media that the number of cancer patients in general is increasing, He said, “Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer, after breast cancer. Every year we receive more than five hundred patients, whether they need radiotherapy or chemotherapy or surgery.
Statistics show that in recent years there were 600 cases of cervical cancer, and that screening and vaccination programs for girls and women have reached many regions of the country so that by the end of this year they have all been achieved.
Dr Maniragaba said that even with other cancers, Rwandans were not aware of getting tested, yet the doctors were there to treat them, In Rwanda, there are 12 doctors who treat cancer using chemotherapy or chemotherapy, two breast surgeons, two women’s oncologists, 15 oncologists and others who support other diseases. Usually in the treatment of cancer three methods are used; surgery and removal of cancer, giving drugs and using radiation to the affected area.
Breast cancer is the most leading cause of the death
As the number of cancer patients increases, the number of people dying from it in Rwanda continues to increase, as it went from 5,900 people in 2014 to 6,044 people in 2020. Men who died in 2014 from cancer were 2 584 and 3 460 women.
It is while those suffering from this disease in Rwanda reached 8,835 people in 2020, including 3,683 men and 5,152 women, Dr. Maniragaba said, “Looking at the book where we write our statistics in the country, the most common cancer that kills the most people is breast cancer according to the statistics published in 2020.”
This shows that women are the most affected by breast cancer which killed 1 237 people (24%), followed by cervical cancer which killed 1 229 people (23.9%), stomach cancer which killed 265 people (5.1%). , prostate cancer killed 204 people (4%), non-Hodgkin lymphoma killed 178 people (3.5%) while other cancers killed 2,039 people (39.6%).
