Solo, C Java (Antara Bali)- Cancer kills a person almost every hour in Indonesia, a physician said .
Dr. Heru Priyanto, who was to be installed chairman of the Indonesian Cancer Foundation (YKI) in Solo, said the number of new cancer patients in Indonesia averages 12 million a year.
The number is feared to continue to increase mainly for unhealthy pattern of eating and environmental effect, Dr. Heru said here on Wednesday.
"Now almost every hour a person dies of cancer in Indonesia," he said, adding the high death rate was attributable mainly to being late in diagnose .
Most patients came to hospital or consult with their doctors when the disease is already in advanced stage, he said. He said medically the disease is curable if the patients came to their doctors when the disease is still in the early stage.
Regular check up, therefore, is necessary and the patient do not have to pay much , he said. The establishment of YKI in Solo would help improve services for cancer carriers in Solo. (WDY)
