Her Royal Highness Crown Prncess Katherine has officially opened today a Fourth Oncologic Symposium at Hotel Hyatt Regency in Belgrade, that will present latest knowledge, experience from other countries, as well as the current situation in Serbia regarding prevention, diagnostics and treatment of breast cancer and pulmonary cancer. Organizers of the Symposium are Institute for radiology and oncology of Serbia in Belgrade, Institute for pulmonary diseases of Vojvodina in Sremska Kamenica with support of experts from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, while co-organizer is HRH Crown Princess Katherine Humanitarian Foundation.
This two-days Syposium has gathered 400 participants, and eminent lecturers Prof. Dr Radan Dzodic, director of the Institute for radiology and oncology of Serbia, Prof. Dr Dragana Jovanovic, special advisor to the Minister of health and director of Clinic for pulmonary diseases of Clinical center of Serbia, Prof. Dr Nevena Secen, deputy director of the Institute for pulmonary diseases of Vojvodina, Prof. Dr Branislav Perin, director of the Institute for pulmonary diseases of Vojvodina, Sremska Kamenica, Dr Srmena Krstev, president of the National Committee against smoking, from the Ministry of health, and many pthers from serbia and abroad.
”Lungs cancer and breast cancer are, beside cervical cancer, the three most frequent malignancies in Serbia, and therefore it is of outmost importance to develop and implement National strategy for prevention of these diseases”, said in her address HRH Crown Princess Katherine.
State secretary at the Ministry of health, Prof. Dr Vladimir Djukic has emphasized: “Screening program of early diagnostics of breast cancer, cervical cancer and colon cancer is well established within the health care system of Serbia but unfortunately we still often diagnose these disease in late stage, with very intensive surgery required and very complicated post operation phases”.
Prof. Dr Dragana Jovanovic, special advisor to the Minister of health said that researchers have found that number of smokers in our country has increased to 34% comparing to data from 2006, while at the same time lung cancer in male populatiion is the leading cause of death.
Prof. Dr Radan Dzodic, director of the Institute for radiology and oncology of Serbia said that he will continue to advocate that model implemented in France that proclaimed fighting cancer as national priority should be implemented in Serbia as well.
The first three oncology conferences held in 2008, 2009 and 2012 were dedicated to screening and diagnostics of breast cancer, with over 500 doctors from Serbia participating. This year the scope has been widened to lung cancer. Participants came from Clinical centers, hospitals and primary health care from all over Serbia. This conference has been accredited by Health Council of the Republic of Serbia for medical doctors, pharmacists, biochemists and health workers.
