Descriptive and analytical epidemiological data on malignant diseases in Serbia - Yugoslavia

There is a long term need for precise data on the global frequency of malignant diseases in the Socialist Republic of Serbia. The Public Health Care Establishment introduced the mechanographic data collection and registration for every patient. Using these data the authors could represent an analytical-epidemiological survey and the significance of malignant diseases in Serbia. The data on mortality from the Republic Institute of Statistics was also used. This publication presents the morbidity statistics for the topic localisations of malignant diseases, according to the sex, residence and their share in the total pathology in Serbia. The recent data on mortality due to malignant diseases are presented at the same time. The fight against malignant diseases does not include only the treatment itself but, at the same time, has to examine all the facts contributing to the development of malignant diseases such as: time, region, life conditions - habits, profession etc. From five deaths in our country, one dies due to a malignant disease. Mortality due to cancer increases by 1.8% per year, as mortality statistics show. At the same time we have an increase in the age group over 60 years. Science has not discovered the direct-actual cause of cancer but risk factors are well known, especially cancerogenous materials which contribute to the development of the disease. The significant fact is, at first glance, the heterogeneity of risk factors being in contact with the collective as well as with the individual life of all population members. These factors can be found in the environment as well as in the professional environment and are directly connected to the individual habits: smoking, alcohol, diet, hormonal life, various infections, immunological resistance of an individual, drugs, inheritance etc. The topic aims of cancer prevention are: 1) to define the dimension and significance of the problem in a defined population, 2) to conduct action with the aim to prevent the cause which may influence the development of the cancer, 3) to provide early detection of the cancer i.e. detect the disease which is not clinically evident, 4) to investigate the possibilities of collective prevention against aggressive risk factors being present in our environment (for example colors in the food industry, measurement for protection in working with cancerogenous materials, protection in working with radioactive sources, to avoid smoking etc.), 5) individual protection includes the biological protection - vaccination or early detection of some diseases known as precancerous ones. There is still a lot of things to be done in the field of cancer prevention, in the first place educational actions with the aim of pointing out the risk of tobacco. The medical health care and protection should be realised on relation and contact with patients by physicians i.e. by means of health care education. Concerning the treatment itself, we must point out that modern medicine has improved very much. Modern medicine provides various treatments against all cancers in general. A patient with cancer, at the present level of medicine, does not belong to any specialist alone. The only way to define a treatment including all medical resources is by multidisciplinary work and decision making. All specialist should cooperate to be able to come to a precise diagnosis, assess the evolution of the disease and conduct correctly adopted protocols for treatment. The protocols should be adapted to every individual. To complete the duty in the treatment of a patient with a malignant disease, every physician has to accept the multidisciplinary work which is the only way to lead to success. We hope that this publications, concerning the elements already mentioned will represent a contribution to the health care in oncology, planning and realisation of the plans in Serbia