Cancer diseases in Brandenburg are increasing

New cases of cancer are rising compared to previous years

21/02/2011

According to health authorities, the number of cancer cases in Brandenburg - compared to previous years - increased. According to the national working community „Oncological care“ in Potsdam, around 400,000 people in Brandenburg are currently suffering from cancer. As part of this, the WG is calling for further expansion of patient counseling facilities.

About 300,000 to 400,000 people are currently suffering from cancer in Brandenburg. According to an evaluation by the Ministry of Health, the number of new cases has been steadily rising since 2004. The Brandenburg Health Minister Anita Tack (Die Linke) explained that in 2004 about 14,000 new cancers were registered. In 2009, the number of new cases increased by 1000 to 15,000. Accordingly, more new cancers were diagnosed than in previous years.

Prevention improved chances of recovery
The Minister assessed positively that in about 1,600 of the cases the cancer was diagnosed at an early stage. The earlier the cancer is detected, the greater the chances of recovery. The main reason for this positive development sees Tack in the provision. More and more Brandenburg citizens are taking part in cancer prevention services. In a comparison of countries, the Brandenburg residents took far more precautionary measures than elsewhere. While 54 percent of women in Brandenburg go for breast cancer screening, in Bavaria there were only 34 percent of women.

In view of the rising morbidity rates, the working group demanded „Oncological care“ an extension of the counseling services for cancer patients. The chairman Bernd Müller-Senftleben demanded that the advisory network should be improved, especially in Berlin-far regions. The patient advice in Berlin-near areas, however, is well developed and not objectionable. At the second Brandenburg Cancer Congress, politicians, doctors and scientists want to discuss whether the position of cancer patients needs to be strengthened by new legal regulations. The congress will take place from 25 to 29 February 2011 in Potsdam. Cancer is the second leading cause of death in Germany with 216,000 deaths per year. (Sb)

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Picture: Sigrid Rossmann