Over 6000 new cancer cases diagnosed in Guinea each year

Over 6,000 new cancer cases are diagnosed each year in various Guinean health centers, a cancer specialist at Donka University Hospital Center (CHU) in Conakry, Dr. Bangaly Traore, said on Monday during the occasion to mark the World Cancer Day. Statistics from Guinea's health ministry show that today, there are 111 new cancer cases for every 100,000 people, with a death rate of 92 percent. Out of the 6,000 new cases that are reported every year, close to 5,000 deaths occur due to lack of adequate treatment, difficulty in accessing primary medication and the high cost of treatment for most patients who lack the necessary financial means to go for the proper treatment. In Guinea, cancer affects over 50 percent of the people aged above 65 years, especially women. "All the ages, all the organs and all social groups can get cancer," Dr. Keita said, before putting emphasis on the female gender which faces the highest risk of getting various types of cancer such as lung cancer, uterus cancer and breast cancer. Some of the causes of cancer include smoking, alcohol, poor diet, pollution and lack of physical exercise. Keita said the treatment of cancer is multi-disciplinary, with the intervention of various medical specialists who include psychologists.