Cancer increases at an alarming rate, claiming the lives of hundreds

The cancer crisis in Papua New Guinea is worsening, with a surge in deaths as the number of cases has doubled.

Dr. Mathias Sapuri, a senior gynecologist in Papua New Guinea, expressed deep concern over the rapid rise in cancer cases nationwide.

He revealed that, in just the past two years, the number of women patients diagnosed with cancer has doubled, with over 300 women dying of cancer.

"For 38 years, I’ve operated on women with breast, cervical, endometrial, and ovarian cancers," Dr. Sapuri said.

He added that in his earlier years at Port Moresby General Hospital [PMGH], he saw far fewer cases.

Since moving to the West New Britain Provincial Health Authority, however, he now operates on two to three cancer patients each day, highlighting the alarming escalation.

Dr. Sapuri described the dramatic shift over the past four decades.

"The incidence of cancer has skyrocketed. The question is, why has this surge occurred so rapidly in our country?" he said.

This week, Suzanne Ong of the World Health Organization’s Western Pacific Regional Office, speaking at a workshop with the National Department of Health in Port Moresby, emphasized the urgent need for comprehensive research and accurate data to secure funding and tackle the cancer crisis.

"Cancer, particularly cervical and breast cancer, remains the most researched non-communicable disease. We need more statistics to understand its prevalence fully.

"The importance of cross-sectional data is essential for funding and targeted health interventions,"Ong said.

Ong also pointed out that lung cancer, identified as an emerging concern in Papua New Guinea, lacks sufficient research and data, especially over the past five years.

"I think the health department also highlighted on lung cancer but we don't have much statistics, that means not much research being done.

"There are two aspects to data one is tracking disease prevalence and understanding health program implementation and there is a need for balanced research," she said.

Meanwhile, WHO's data from 2020 show that Papua New Guinea recorded 12,159 new cancer cases and 7,276 cancer-related deaths.

WHO estimates that without proper intervention, these numbers could reach 26,300 new cases and 16,400 deaths by 2045.

To address this, National Department of Health [NDoH] are collaborating on a comprehensive cancer control action plan for 2024-2030 to address this escalating public health crisis.