Armenia has recorded about a 70% increase in oncological diseases in the past two decades, the Health Ministry’s chief specialist said today, highlighting also a high mortality rate.
In a speech at a scientific-practical conference devoted to modern methods of cancer diagnosis and treatment, Armen Tananyan noted that about half of the cases (45%-50%) are detected in the third or fourth stage of the disease. But despite the high statistics, he said, about 40,000 cancer survivors are now registered in the country.
The event, running from 9 to 12 April, is being held at the Yerevan State Medical University (YSMU). Two conferences, entitled Cancer Diagnosis and Modern Standards of Treatment and Practical Healthcare Research have been organized in collaboration with the Münster University Hospital (Germany). Eleven guest professors from Germany and Austria are expected to deliver lectures.
In the frameworks of an agreement signed with the Münster University Hospital, six Armenian doctors were retrained in the clinic in 2016-2017.
Both conferences are important given the urgency of the topics and the pressing need to combat oncological diseases in Armenia, YSMU President Armen Sargsyan said in his opening address. He added that they expect the European professors to elaborate on the actual problems and recent achievements in the field.
“Our colleagues today will introduce their achievements and honestly admit the problems they are facing – using a very plain, and modern language. Oncology is globally an extremely serious health problem which accounts for 20% of the total deaths. That problem is the cause of many deaths also in our country; we are virtually in the second place with our cancer mortality statistics,” he added.
