Incidence of oral cancer has increased in Maldives, declared Health Protection Agency (HPA) on Monday.
In a statement released to mark World Cancer Day, HPA stated that the statistics of both Aasandha and National Social Protection Agency (NSPA) indicate that incidence of oral cancer has spiked since 2016.
HPA highlighted that the main causes of oral cancer include smoking and consumption of areca nuts, which are common among Maldivians.
The agency urged the public to screen for cancer, stressing that successful treatments are possible with earlier diagnosis.
The most common types of cancer in males are oral cancer, prostrate cancer, stomach cancer and lung cancer, while the most common in females are breast cancer, oral cancer, thyroid cancer, stomach cancer and blood cancers, according to HPA.
Global statistics by World Health Organisation indicate that cancer is the second highest cause of death around the world, with 9.6 million deaths in 2018.
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