Nikhil Aiyush Kumar 
The Fiji Cancer Society has recorded around 18 new cases just in the first month of this year.
Society’s Palliative Care Program Coordinator, Alumita Bera, says this figure doesn’t include cases from the west, north, and private clinics.
In the past four years, the figure has stood at 1,700, and Bera is stressing the importance of awareness and early diagnosis.
Bera says one of the major challenges with the growing case numbers is lack of attention to health and wellbeing.
“If we have that trend almost 20 patients in one month that’s walked into our clinic, how many are out there that have not been diagnosed.”
The Society organized a five-kilometre walk this morning, an annual tradition for February, which is their cancer awareness month.
Bera says the theme this year is “United by Unique” which focuses on the unique stories of patients and survivors.
She adds cancer is not a death sentence as it can be treated with the right intervention.
