Over 1,400 people from two hospitals register as cancer patients

Over 1,400 patients from two hospitals have registered as cancer patients, as the Health Protection Agency (HPA) compiles an official registry of cancer patients in the Maldives.

In an appearance on the Public Service Media (PSM)’s ‘Raajje Miadhu’ show on Sunday evening, HPA’s public health coordinator Abdulla Muaz Adam said authorities are working on assessing the prevalence of cancer in the Maldives, including creating a cancer registry or a digital database of cancer patients.

The project is currently in its first phase.

Muaz told PSM that over 1,400 cancer patients have been registered from the Indhira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) and Hulhumale’ Hospital.

According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)/WHO Global Cancer Observatory estimates, Maldives had about 496 new cancer cases and 264 deaths in 2020.

However, the full burden of cancer in Maldives remains unclear, as the country’s cancer registry is at an early stage of development.

“We are unable to provide an exact assessment of the country’s situation. But the work is underway at full swing. The prevalence of cancer by region and the types of cancers,” he said.

Muaz said that based on the information inputted into the database so far, the most common type of cancer among women is breast cancer, and the most common among men is lung cancer.

Dr. Mohamed Amr Mohamed, a clinical oncologist, told PSM that there are certain factors leading to cancer that can be controlled, by maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

He said that this includes avoiding processed food, food that contain high levels of sugar, and smoking.