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Media Release 4 February 2016 | FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE World Cancer Day 2016 in Singapore – We Can. I Can Raising cancer awareness and the importance of regular health screening Singapore, 02 February 2016 – According to the World Health Organization 1, cancer is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide, with approximately 14 million new cases and 8.2 million cancer related deaths in 2012. This is expected to rise by about 70% over the next two decades to reach 22 million cases in 2020. In Singapore, more than 13,000 people were diagnosed with cancer in 2014 2 and 1 in 3 deaths are caused by cancer 3. Coming as One to Fight Cancer World Cancer Day is observed globally on 4 February every year to raise awareness about cancer and to unite people around the world in the fight against the disease. To mark this year’s World Cancer Day, the Singapore Cancer Society (SCS), National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS), and National University Cancer Institute, Singapore (NCIS), with support from the Health Promotion Board (HPB), will join forces to organise the World Cancer Day awareness event on Sunday, 20 February 2016, at the Toa Payoh HDB Hub, from 10am to 4pm The inaugural collaboration between the organisations aims to raise the awareness of cancer and highlight actions that can be taken to prevent, treat and control the different types of the disease. “By bringing everyone together, we hope that we can provide a more holistic approach towards raising awareness about cancer and engaging the public to take proactive steps in prevention, including making regular health screening a top priority. With the right information and tools, Singaporeans will be better equipped and empowered to fight cancer together,” said Dr Lim Siew Eng, Chairman of SCS Public Education Committee and Senior Consultant, Department of Haematology-Oncology, NCIS. 1 Cancer Fact sheet N°297, World Health Organization, Updated February 2015: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs297/en/ 2 Singapore Cancer Registry, Interim Annual Report, Trends in Cancer Incidence in Singapore 2010-2014 3 Principal Causes of Death, Ministry of Health, Last updated on 22 July 2015: https://www.moh.gov.sg/content/moh_web/home/statistics/Health_Facts_Singapore/Principal_Causes_of_Death.html Talks and Activities The World Cancer Day awareness event will showcase an exhibition with interactive games to educate Singaporeans on the different types of cancer and empower them with tips on cancer prevention through talks on topics such as nutrition and lifestyle risk factors that will be conducted by health professionals. To raise awareness about women’s related cancers and encourage regular screening, a session will be held for visitors who are keen to understand more about cervical cancer and breast cancer screening. Early registration to attend the talks is encouraged. Another highlight of this one-day event is a children’s art competition for those aged 8 to 12 years, where they may create paintings to express their hopes and wishes for other children whose loved ones have been affected by cancer. For event details, please refer to Annex A. Screening Programmes for Singaporeans and PRs In Singapore, there are population-based cancer screening programmes in place to screen for breast, cervical and colorectal cancers to encourage Singaporeans and PRs to attend regular screening. While the awareness for breast and cervical cancer has been high, Singaporeans are not coming forward to be screened regularly. In 2013, a consumer insights study 4 was conducted by HPB to better understand Singaporeans’ attitudes and perceptions as well as motivation and barriers towards health and screening. These qualitative findings indicate the misconceptions that people have about screening: • • • • Screening is often perceived as an activity that causes ‘unnecessary’ stress which may negatively impact one’s health due to the anxiety associated with it. Many people do not screen for cancer due to fear of pain or the outcome of the tests. Some people believe that they are sufficiently ‘health conscious’ and should not suffer from chronic illnesses or cancers because they engage in healthy behaviours that would prevent such diseases. People would ‘rather not know’ if they had a chronic condition or cancer and prefer to live in their blissful bubbles of ignorance, avoiding the potentially life-changing consequences of finding out that they have a condition. Most screening tests are not painful, although some people may experience temporary and minor discomfort while being screened. Going for regular health screening can help detect early even if individuals are healthy and do not notice any signs and/or symptoms. Early 4 Health Promotion Board’s Consumer Insights Study 2013 detection, followed by treatment and good control of the condition, can result in better health outcomes, and lower the risk of serious complications 5. To encourage Singaporeans to go for regular cancer screening, visitors at the exhibition who meet the screening criteria will be eligible to collect a Faecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) Kit, sign up for a Pap smear and also book for a screening mammogram at no cost 6. In addition, HPB’s Screen For Life provides a comprehensive and established suite of health screening programmes that are available to Singaporeans at participating Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS)-GP clinics and polyclinics 7 islandwide. - END - For more information, please contact: Singapore Cancer Society Belinda Choo Tel: 6421-5853 Email: [email protected] National Cancer Centre Singapore Rachel Tan Tel: 6236 9535 Email: [email protected] National University Cancer Institute, Singapore 5 Women aged 25 and above who have ever had sexual intercourse should attend cervical screening every three years; women should also start screening for breast cancer every two years from age 50; and, men and women should start screening for colorectal cancer through faecal immunochemical testing every year from age 50 6 Screening criteria for fully paid-for cancer screening: Pap smear for women aged 25 and, FIT Kit for 50 years old and above, screening mammogram for women with the Health Assist card above 50 years old. Applicable to Singaporeans and PRs only. 7 Screen for Life refers to HPB’s screening programmes for cardiovascular diseases and selected cancers. Visit a Screen for Life GP for cardiovascular, colorectal cancer, and cervical cancer screening, and the polyclinics for breast and cervical cancer screening. For more information, please visit www.screenforlife.sg Sharon Aw Tel: 6772-3987 Email: [email protected] About Singapore Cancer Society (www.singaporecancersociety.org.sg) Established in 1964, Singapore Cancer Society is a self-funded voluntary welfare organisation which provides patient care services to needy cancer patients through its welfare, hospice home care, cancer treatment subsidy and rehabilitation support programmes. In addition, the Society also provides free cancer screening services and promotes cancer awareness and prevention through its public education and community outreach programmes. About the National Cancer Centre Singapore National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS) provides a holistic and multi-disciplinary approach to cancer treatment and patient care. We treat almost 70 per cent of the public sector oncology cases, and they are benefiting from the sub-specialisation of our clinical oncologists. NCCS is also accredited by the US-based Joint Commission International for its quality patient care and safety. To deliver among the best in cancer treatment and care, our clinicians work closely with our scientists who conduct robust cutting-edge clinical and translational research programmes which have been internationally recognised. NCCS strives to be a global leading cancer centre, and shares its expertise and knowledge by offering training to local and overseas medical professionals. www.nccs.com.sg About the National University Cancer Institute, Singapore (NCIS) The National University Cancer Institute, Singapore (NCIS), a national specialty centre, offers a broad spectrum of cancer care and management covering both paediatric and adult cancers, with expertise in prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation and palliative care. The Institute adopts a multi-disciplinary approach to develop a comprehensive and personalised plan for each cancer patient and his or her family. NCIS draws on the expertise of its specialists in the fields of haematology-oncology, radiation oncology, gynaecologic oncology, paediatric oncology, surgical oncology, oncology nursing, oncology pharmacy, palliative care, pathology, radiology, medical specialties including gastroenterology and hepatology, infectious diseases, pulmonary and critical care, psychiatry, epidemiology and public health as well as other allied health sciences. NCIS, which is part of the National University Health System (NUHS), is home to the Cancer Therapeutics Research Group, one of the few academic early phase cancer clinical trial groups spanning leading academic centers in Singapore, Hong Kong, Korea, Australia, and Taiwan. Its strength in research allows patients to access drugs and devices before they are commercially available. NCIS is also closely affiliated with the Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore. For more information about NCIS, visit www.ncis.com.sg Annex A