A hospice for cancer patients is planned to open in 2011 in Polotsk

December 23, Vitebsk / Sergey Kochetov - BELTA /. A hospice for cancer patients is planned to be opened in 2011 in Polotsk, which will be the third in the Vitebsk region. This was reported to a BELTA correspondent at the regional clinical oncology dispensary. The medical institution will be established on the basis of one of the treatment facilities of the city polyclinic and will be designed for the simultaneous stay of 15 patients with advanced stages of cancer, as well as those suffering from other diseases. The main task of the hospice is to ensure the quality of life for severely ill patients. A psychologist will work with patients and their relatives, and hospice specialists will help select appropriate pain relief and solve a number of other medical and social problems. Today, two hospices are already operating in the region, including one that opened in October 2010 in Orsha on the basis of city hospital No. 4 and is designed for 15 beds. Since 2009, a hospice with 20 beds has been operating in the Oktyabrskaya district hospital of the Vitebsk region. After the opening of such an institution in Polotsk, the region's need for hospices will be fully met. Mortality from oncological diseases in the Vitebsk region in January-November decreased by 2.5% compared to the same period in 2009 and amounted to 186.6 cases per 100,000 population. This positive trend has been observed for 10 years, and in recent years it has become pronounced. The decrease in mortality is due to improved early diagnosis and the use of modern treatment methods. Today, one in three patients is cured. In addition, the prevalence of detected oncological diseases is decreasing; today, patients diagnosed with stage 4 cancer account for about 12% of the total number of newly diagnosed cases. Another positive trend is the increase in the number of patients registered for more than 5 years, their share in the total number of patients is 52.9%. As of December 1, more than 31,000 people are registered at the oncology dispensary, which is approximately every 42nd resident of the region. In recent years, significant changes have occurred in the structure of morbidity. Skin cancer has come to the fore, followed by lung cancer. For men, the problem of prostate cancer morbidity has become more relevant, which has moved to third place in the structure of male oncological diseases. In the structure of female oncological morbidity, breast cancer ranks third. -0-