There are around 100 cases of lung cancer diagnosed every year in the Region, a number that, as pointed out by Vítor Teixeira, director of the Pulmonology Service at SESARAM, cannot be ignored.
Especially because, adds Ricardo Sousa, president of the Madeira Regional Center of the Portuguese League Against Cancer, tobacco is the main cause of preventable death in Portugal, being responsible for around 11,800 deaths per year.
“Lung cancer is the four most common cancer in the Region”, warned the pulmonologist, in statements on the sidelines of the presentation of the ‘White May’ Lung Cancer Prevention Campaign, which will be promoted throughout the month of May by this core.
However, the health professional highlights that this disease has been fought increasingly effectively.
“Now a much broader study is being carried out, managing to define many lung cancers and treatment is individualized for each type. Therefore, we are able to offer treatments [não cirúrgicos] much more effective. (…) but surgery is, without a doubt, the curative treatment”, highlighted Vítor Teixeira, who was most pleased with the fact that lung cancer was no longer “the black disease” of yesteryear.
In addition to this, the specialist also welcomed the screening for this type of cancer that will advance in Madeira in the future, and could be the first to be carried out in Portugal. “It has to be very well thought out, because it involves high costs, but it is a screening that has to be done”, he stressed, without, however, pointing out the start date.
More literacy for prevention
In turn, Ricardo Sousa noted that “cancer is increasingly aggressive”, with an increase in cases expected in the coming years, therefore calling for the adoption of preventive behaviors.
“There are causes that we cannot control, but others are controllable and tobacco is one of them”, he appealed, asking that the population not be “shy and serene” in the face of the numbers related to this disease.
It is in this sense that the LPCC decided to dedicate the month of May to the prevention of lung cancer, thus trying to bring literacy to the community, encourage smokers to quit smoking and publicize the existing support network, an effort that arose from the observation of that it was necessary to go further in raising awareness.
According to the person responsible, one of the target audiences for this campaign is younger people, who are asked to “think twice” before being led by pressure from their group of friends.
Therefore, as part of this campaign, the month will be guided by several initiatives, which will take place in several regional schools, but which will also include awareness sessions and sporting activities, such as a race (May 18th) and a paddle tennis tournament (May 29th). ).
