Health | Macau meets int’l standards on cancer prevention, expert says

The president of the International Association of Cancer Registries (IACR), Roberto Zanetti, praised Macau for its improvements in the prevention and treatment of cancer, saying that the survival rates from the major types of cancer within five years are above average.
When visiting the territory recently, Mr Zanetti met this week with the head of the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention of Macau, Dr Lam Chong, and representatives of the Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Unit in order to exchange information and views on the current developments internationally and in Macau regarding the prevention and treatment of cancer.
During the meeting, representatives of the Macau health services provided Zanetti with the current data which included Macau’s position regarding these diseases.
According to Dr Zanetti, colon and breast cancers have become the main concerns in the territory, which places Macau among developed countries in terms of the tendency for cancers.
Nevertheless, the IACR president has noted that in the territory there is still a prevalence of cancers of the liver and stomach which is characteristic of developing countries.
Participants in the meeting also discussed among other topics, the pros and cons of colon cancer screening, breast and cervical cancer.
The cancer registry is a system used in several regions of the world for the purpose of monitoring the epidemiological status of cancer. The International Agency for Research on Cancer and the International Association of Cancer Registries are responsible for the publication of a five-year report, “Cancer Incidence in Five Continents” (CI5) that includes qualitative data on cancers over five consecutive years. Macau has been included for the first time in the latest publication. RM