OREANDA-NEWS. March 01, 2012. With the support of R-Pharm, the Fifth Forum Movement against Cancer took place. It was organized by of the same name interregional public movement and non-commercial partnership Equal Right to Life. Over three hundred physicians, scientists, government representatives and leaders of public anticancer organizations assisted there.

The forum is held annually on the eve of the World Day against Cancer, which is celebrated on the 4th of February, it is Russia’s biggest public venue for discussion and addressing key issues in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. In the network of the Fifth Forum more than forty leading Russian oncologists and representatives of federal and regional ministries of health, medical oncology clinics, representatives of patient organizations made their speech. Also, leaders of international organizations, who protected interests of oncology patient, shared their own experience.

In the statements of the number of domestic and foreign experts it was particularly mentioned that the most pressing problem in Russia was not even the growth of cancer incidence, but low survival rate, in comparison with the most leading world powers. According to WHO, Russia is one of the three countries with the highest rate of mortality from cancer (the first place takes Hungary, Russia and Ukraine share the second one). For instance, if five-year survival rate of women with the most common cancer – breast cancer, in the USA is 90.3%, and in Russia – only 53.2%. However, because of the high survival rate, the population of the United States and developed countries in Europe knows that cancer is curable, but in Russia it is considered to be fatal illness. There are two conditions which are required for the solvation of this problem, early and qualitative disease detection and modern affordable therapy. For the first issue, the last few years the state makes further efforts, including the modernization program of health, but the second condition it is much more difficult to observe.

The problem of the availability of drug therapies for oncological patients in Russia mentioned in most reports during the Forum Movement against Cancer. Effective innovative products, especially targeted are still not availability for patients – said press secretary of IPO Movement against Cancer Denis Kurov. That was indicated by the responses of specific people faced with this every day, - patients and physicians. Every day, dozens of dying people, could have been saved. For today in Russia, about three million cancer patients and most of them, we can help not only survive, but even live a full life.

The resulting document of the Forum became the Appeal of Participants of the Fifth Forum Movement against Cancer to the president of the Russian Federation. It sets out a number of specific measures to improve the system of cancer care facilities and in particular, to enhance the availability of treatment. The Forum believes that appropriate measures should be taken immediately, because exactly the availability of modern methods treatment directly affects the quality of cure and survival potential of cancer patients.