In one way Ukraine is not lagging behind Europe. Like everywhere else in the world, cancer incidence and the mortality rate in Ukraine are increasing every year. In 2006 the Ministry of Health’s oncological facilities registered over 864,000 patients. Official statistics point to a 3.7 percent increment compared to the previous year. Ninety thousand Ukrainians die of cancer every year, one-third of whom are people of working age.
On Nov. 1 the Ministry of Health published complete oncological statistics. Oncological pathology traditionally ranks second among causes of death, after cardiovascular disorders. Over the past five years the structure of incidence has practically remained the same. Every year physicians diagnose some 150,000 new cases in all population groups. A slight decline has been recorded in terms of oncological diseases affecting the trachea, bronchial tubes, and lungs. The highest incidence has been registered in the southern regions as well as in Kirovohrad and Poltava oblasts, and the Crimea.
Between 38 and 40 percent of cancer patients die in the first year after their illness is diagnosed, a statistic that is indicative of a belated diagnosis. Among children under 14 years of age some 1,500 are found to have malignant tumors every year; here the incidence rate is 11.5 cases per 100,000 children. Compared to 2001, this rate has decreased by 10 percent. Like before, the highest rate is recorded in children under one year old. It gradually drops among seniors (twice lower than in 10- to 14-year-old children). Leukemia is the number-one killer of children (33%), followed by brain tumors and tumors in other parts of the nervous system (19%), with lymphomas placing third (13%).
The cost of diagnosing and treating oncological diseases ranges from several thousand to hundreds of thousands of hryvnias, depending on the stage of the disease. In 2006, in line with the state program Oncology, 137 million hryvnias were allocated, including 112 million for purchasing anti- cancer drugs. Owing to changes resulting from tender deals, the health ministry was able to purchase these drugs at an average discount of more than 40 percent. This made it possible to satisfy almost half of all cancer patients’ drug requirements at the government’s expense (in the past it was only 15 percent). The 2007 state budget envisages over 165 million hryvnias for oncology and 25 million for oncological equipment.
Medical institutions have a total of 11,700 beds. Treatment and regular checkups are the responsibility of 728 oncological wards and 2,004 examination rooms. Oncological hospitals are setting up special departments dealing with breast, thoracic, and head and neck cancers, which will help to improve the quality of medical assistance to such patients.
One of the problems of providing medical service to cancer patients is the need to expand the network of hospices that provide palliative care to terminal patients. The issue of setting up hospices is being resolved in individual regions. Meanwhile, Ukrainian scientists and their foreign counterparts confirm that these institutions solve not only moral and ethical problems, but also play an important role in substantially reducing socioeconomic losses.
Ukraine has 10 hospices and hospice wards in 8 regions, but many more are needed. The Ministry of Health is initiating the creation of a palliative system involving other agencies and civic organizations.
Lest we end our days in a hospital ward, we should realize that each one of us is facing this threat. It is impossible to prevent disease, but it is possible to reduce the risk of developing one. Physicians recommend a healthy lifestyle, adding more vegetables and fruits to one’s diet, and engaging in physical activity. Of course, regular medical checkups are a must, because this disease is easier to cope with in the early stages.
This article was based on Ministry of Health statistics.
