Doctors stress risk of cancer
Cases of cancer of the mouth, throat and windpipe have doubled in Greece over the past 25 years, doctors warned yesterday. The increase was mainly attributed to smoking. At a press conference ahead of a medical convention of ear, nose and throat specialists as well as head and throat surgeons – to be held in Thessaloniki from October 8-12 – doctors said 400 Greeks are diagnosed with cancer of the mouth, throat or windpipe every year. Ninety percent of all new cancer of the mouth sufferers are smokers, doctors said. While the disease generally affects people aged over 40, in recent years the average age of sufferers has declined. Meanwhile, doctors told a press conference in Athens yesterday that Greek women are not paying enough attention to the threat of breast cancer. Out of the 4,500 cases diagnosed every year in Greece, only 5 percent are caught at the initial stage – when treatment can ensure a 95 percent survival rate. The data was made public on the occasion of October’s designation as a month for public awareness on breast cancer.
