World Cancer Day: "Today's research is tomorrow's medicine"

The AECC has organized this Friday at the main door of the Clinical Hospital the reading of a manifesto to raise awareness about the disease.

On the occasion of World Cancer Day, which is celebrated this Saturday, Pilar Buil, an oncology patient, has been in charge of reading a manifesto this Friday at the main door of the Lozano Blesa University Clinical Hospital in Zaragoza, accompanied by members of the Spanish Association Against Cancer (AECC), health professionals and volunteers.

“My name is Pilar and I have cancer. They say that one in three women will have cancer throughout her life in the year 2030. Well, I am one of them.” Thus she has begun the message that she has launched from the stairs of the health center as a way to raise awareness in society about the need to promote research and prevention to fight against this disease. The challenge, explained José Luis Ansón, president of the Spanish Association Against Cancer in Zaragoza, is to continue betting on research and continue increasing the survival rate. Now it is around 56% among men and close to 60% in women: “We want it to reach 2030% in 70.” “Society must be made aware, because we are all involved. From here - he indicated - we are going to the Cortes of Aragon to meet with the political parties "

For Alberto Jiménez Schuhmacher, Araid researcher at the Aragon Health Research Institute (IIS Aragón), present at the event, “today's research is tomorrow's medicine.” "We have the knowledge and technology to win battles against cancer, which bring us closer to a more hopeful future, with earlier diagnoses, with more specific drugs...". But even so, he pointed out, “we will always have to be proactive regarding health.” In this sense, he has specified the importance of adopting healthy habits to prevent diseases, such as following a balanced diet, exercising, avoiding alcohol and tobacco...

“The challenge now is to be able to diagnose early,” he explained: “Statistics say that we have more and more cases, due to lifestyle habits, because more are diagnosed and because we live longer, but we also see that mortality is decreasing, which It means that the research works.” Just a few years ago, around 2015, survival was around 50%. Now it has increased. And the goal, he said, “is to reach 70% in 2030 if we continue to support research and raise awareness among the population to participate in screening.” “That polyp in the colon that can be detected with a simple fecal occult blood test, within five years it could be something worse, that it invades tissues, spreads and can be a very big problem.”

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Source: Heraldo.es