Armenian Ministry of Health reminds that today is the World Cancer Day, which aims to raise awareness of cancer and to encourage its prevention, detection, and treatment.

In 2018, 9.6 million people died in the world of malignant neoplasms, with almost 70% of deaths recorded in low and middle income countries (including Armenia). Almost one third of the deaths are conditioned by the harmful effects of basic risk factors such as smoking and alcohol, unhealthy diet, overweight / obesity, and lack of physical activity, while limited access to diagnosis and applying for medical help at later stages are decisive. 30-50% of malignant neoplasms can be prevented and cured if detected early. Unfortunately, around 60% of cases are detected in the III and IV stages, which greatly affects the quality and duration of treatment.

In Armenia, around 5,600 people die of malignant neoplasms every year, being the second in the list of mortality reasons (20.4%), after diseases of the blood circulatory system. Over the last 30 years, mortality and morbidity rates have increased here 2-3 times. As of 2018, the number of patients with malignant neoplasms who are under medical control is 43,830, with 8,500 new cases registered every year.