Without Complaints Does Not Mean Safe, Screening is the Key to Detecting Cancer

Illustration of early detection of cancer. (Freepik)

JAKARTA - Not all cancer diseases show clear symptoms from the beginning. In many cases, cancer actually develops slowly without causing any complaints until it reaches a more serious stage.

This condition makes routine health screening or examination the most effective preventive measure to find cancer earlier before it has a more severe impact.

But unfortunately, there are many cases where patients only come to health facilities after experiencing symptoms that interfere with daily activities, including in the case of cancer. This is also the reason why cancer is detected in Indonesia is already in an advanced stage.

"Awareness of the importance of screening needs to be built early so that cancer potential can be found and handled faster. The main goal of screening is to detect the disease before symptoms appear, so that the chances of treatment success become greater,"

"This is what the Chairman of the Eka Tjipta Widjaja Cancer Center at Eka Hospital, Dr. dr. Sonar Soni Panigoro, Sp.B (K) Onk., M.Epid., MARS said after the Talkshow "Integrated Approach in Oncology: Adaptation of Technology, Collaboration, Multidisciplinary, and Referral Protocol at Eka Hospital Group", in Central Jakarta, recently.

Early detection plays an important role because not all types of cancer are easily recognizable through early signs. Some cancers can develop without specific complaints, so they often go unnoticed until the condition worsens.

Doctor Sonar explains the importance of cancer screening. (Dinno/VOI)

One example is sarcoma, which often does not show typical symptoms and is only known when a person undergoes a routine health examination.

There are also types of cancer that are relatively easier to recognize from their initial symptoms, such as breast cancer and cervical cancer. Both of these cancers are usually characterized by the presence of a lump or certain changes that can be felt or seen.

However, the ease of recognizing these signs does not mean that routine examinations can be ignored, because screening still provides more optimal results if done periodically.

In other cases, for example, cancer that attacks internal organs, the symptoms often resemble common mild diseases. Gastric cancer, for example, is often mistaken for a digestive disorder or a common stomach ulcer.

"Patients must be aware that if there are complaints of abdominal pain or discomfort that lasts a long time and does not improve, they should immediately see a doctor," he explained.

In this case, further examination is needed to determine the cause of the complaint. Doctors usually use special medical devices to see the condition of the digestive organs directly, so that abnormalities can be detected more accurately and treated as needed.

Furthermore, dr. Sonar recommends that cancer screening be made part of routine health checks, at least once a year, even if there are no complaints.

He also reminded that cancer screening has received funding support from BPJS Kesehatan, so people should not hesitate to check themselves.