RAMALLAH, Thursday, February 4, 2021 (WAFA) - Cancer is the second leading cause of death in Palestine after heart disease, today said the Ministry of Health on the World Cancer Day marked on February 4 to raise awareness of cancer and to encourage its prevention, detection, and treatment.

It said in a statement that 3174 cases of cancer were reported in the West Bank in 2019, an increase of 2.2% from the 2018 figure of 3102 cases.

It explained that the number of new cases registered among females reached 1664 cases, accounting for 52.4% of new cancer cases, and 1510 cases were recorded among males, representing 47.6% of the total cases registered in 2019.

Of the total cancer cases registered in 2019, 1095 were for the age group over 64 years, or 34.5% of the total cases, even though this age group represents only 3.3% of the total population, and 1936 cases were recorded, or 61%, were for the age group between 15 and 64 years, while 143 cases, or 4.5%, of the total were for the age group below 15 years.

Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in Palestine, said the Ministry, where 536 new cases were registered in 2019, or 16.9% of the total cancer cases recorded, followed by colorectal or colon cancer, with 400 cases, or 12.6%, and lung cancer with 227 cases, or 7.2% of all cases.

The Ministry of Health attributed the causes of cancer to behavioral and dietary reasons, such as obesity, insufficient intake of fruits and vegetables, lack of physical activity, and smoking in all its forms, in addition to other factors.

M.K.