On World Cancer Day, Gaza Strip provides treatment for 2000 patients annually
According to the latest report from the Palestinian Health Information Center, the number of registered cases of cancer patients during the past five years is 8644, as the Gaza Strip annually records approximately 2000 cases.
Dr. Ahmed Al-Shurafa, head of the oncology department at the European Gaza Hospital, south of the Gaza Strip, said during an interview, on Thursday 4 February, World Cancer Day, that several factors increase the possibility of infection.
These factors are divided into genetic factor represented by the presence of family history, and environmental factor presented with smoking, noting that it is a major cause of cancer of the larynx, stomach, bladder, neck, mouth, and lung, in addition to the environmental pollution resulting from gases emitted from factories and fires.
Dr. Al-Shurafa pointed out that some types of infections of the body’s organs end up developing cancer, like when using certain drugs that contain hormonal substances, which increase the chance of developing cancer.
Dr. Al-Shurafa added that breast cancer is considered the most common cancer in the Gaza Strip, at a rate of 18% among women and men, followed by colon cancer, leukemia, thyroid cancer, and lung cancer.
Cancer patients in the Gaza Strip are suffering as a result of the special medicine crisis, according to Dr. Al-Shurafa, many patients are transferred to the occupied Palestinian territories, while some cases are denied from traveling, due to the Israeli siege imposed on the Gaza Strip beside the obstacles that the occupation imposes on patients.
Patients in Gaza are facing several challenges; like the drug crisis in Gaza, exit permit ban, lack of diagnostic devices like radiological scanning to detect different types of cancer.
It is worth noting that cancer is a major public health problem, and it is the second major cause of death worldwide, which affects all ages, genders, and races. The 4th of February every year marks World Cancer Day to raise global awareness of the risks of the disease.