Russian experts discussed approaches to cancer prevention

On February 4, a press conference dedicated to World Cancer Day was held in Moscow under the auspices of the Association of Medical Specialists in Risk Modification. Leading doctors and health care organizers of Russia discussed modern approaches to prevention, diagnosis and treatment of oncological diseases. The experts paid special attention to the issues of prevention, first of all, through a healthy lifestyle and avoidance of bad habits.

Over the years of implementation of the federal project "Fighting cancer" Russia has already achieved impressive success in the detection of malignant neoplasms, said Dr. M.Sc., Professor of the Department of Oncology, Russian Medical Academy of Medical Sciences, Head of the thoracoabdominal surgery department of the State Budgetary Institution "A.S. Loginov Moscow Medical Center" DZM Arif Allakhverdiev. More than 60% of cancer cases are detected at the first or second stage - this is the best indicator for all years of observation. Russia has come close to creating cancer vaccines and new generation immunomodulatory drugs. At the same time, the total incidence of cancer for 2023 alone amounted to almost 5.5 thousand cases per 100 thousand population. According to Arif Allakhverdiyev, it is possible to overcome this negative trend, first of all, through cancer prevention.

The need to find new approaches to reduce cancer morbidity and mortality in the country was also emphasized by Larisa Popovich, Ph.D., Director of the Institute of Health Economics at the National Research University Higher School of Economics. "Mortality from malignant neoplasms is still quite high. It is not possible to achieve a reduction by medication alone - it is necessary to introduce effective and large-scale preventive measures based, among other things, on the concept of risk modification", - said Larisa Popovich.

A focus on prevention is needed to reduce cancer morbidity and mortality rates, summarized AIHA Director Alexander Rozanov. "It is important not only to declare the adoption of healthy lifestyle principles, but also to take concrete steps to apply them - starting with giving up bad habits, such as tobacco smoking, and ending with applying a conscious approach to one's health in general. The "10 Rules for a Healthy Life" developed by AIHA, which are based on risk modification, suggesting the rejection of rigid prohibitions in favor of a personalized approach, can help in this regard," the expert pointed out.