Today, we see the concern and solidarity of the Indonesian people in supporting the management of breast cancerJakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian government commended the launch of the Navigation Guide for Breast Cancer Patients guidebook by the National Cancer Information and Support Center Association (CISC) on Tuesday.
The commendation was given because the CISC and everyone involved have provided breast cancer patients and their facilitators with applicable information in the guidebook, especially on understanding and completing treatment courses, Deputy Minister of Health, Dante Saksono Harbuwono, informed.
“Today, we see the concern and solidarity of the Indonesian people in supporting the management of breast cancer. The presence of a navigation guidebook for breast cancer will certainly be very beneficial for cancer patients and their companions," he remarked at a virtual webinar, which was accessed from here on Tuesday.
According to Harbuwono, the book will act as a guide on the flow of treatment, provide information on the distribution of oncology specialists, information on cancer service hospitals, and tips on dealing with the psychological challenges faced by breast cancer patients while undergoing treatment.
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“Hopefully, this book can be useful for many people and provide most benefit possible for improving public health status in Indonesia,” he said.
Efforts to handle breast cancer in Indonesia cannot be undertaken by the government alone, thus support is needed from everyone, ranging from cancer observer organizations, academics, professional organizations, community organizations, the private sector, the media, and the community, to the patient community and their families, he added.
He also highlighted that breast cancer accounts for most cancer cases in the world, with 2.3 million women diagnosed with breast cancer globally. In Indonesia, new cases of breast cancer in 2020 are expected to increase by around 65 thousand, with the incidence rate reaching 44 per 100 thousand population.
At the webinar, deputy chairman of the People's Consultative Assembly, Lestari Moerdijat, also lauded the launch of the guidebook, saying the topics in the book were very important for breast cancer patients.
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Currently, information is indeed much more easily accessible, but accurate information often cannot be found due to patients' lack of access to reliable sources of information, she added.
"As a cancer survivor, I truly feel how information is one of the things that is needed not only for the sufferer himself but for their family," she noted.
She said that the book is an extraordinary contribution to Indonesia. She also expressed her gratitude to the public for providing support to breast cancer patients and books to plug the information gap.
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Translator: Rizka K, Mecca Yumna
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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