Cancer specialists offering free advice

Mobile teams of cancer specialists are offering free medical exams and consultation at diagnosis centers across Chisinau municipality. The action will last until June 26, being part of the Anticancer Campaign, launched by the Ministry of Health. “We are bringing doctors closer to the patients. People will no longer have to go to the Oncology Hospital to get a diagnosis”, Silvia Terna, deputy head of the municipal health department, has told Info-Prim Neo. According to her, the teams of cancer physicians will offer their services at polyclinics around the city on a daily basis between 13:00 and 16:00. Alongside family physicians, they will consult patients and give advice on how to prevent cancer. The teams include breast cancer specialists, gynecologists, lung physicians, gastrologists, and others. The Anticancer Campaign is held nationwide to promote healthy lifestyle habits and give tips on prevention and early detection of cancer. The campaign comes amid an alarming rise in global cancer statistics. Cancer risks are associated with a bad environment, with smoking, alcohol abuse, irrational consumption of food, and with stress. Statistics show that in 2007 the number of Moldovans who were diagnosed with primary cancer rose to 7,484 from 7,361 in 2006 and 6,952 in 2005. In addition, the incidence rate of malignant tumors rose to 208.8 cases per 100,000 of population from 204.8 cases in 2006 and 192.9 cases in 2005.