JAKARTA - Deputy Minister of Health Dante Saksono Harbuwono said his party had integrated colorectal cancer screening or intestinal cancer into the National Free Health Check Program (CKG) which targets people aged 45 years and over who are considered to be at high risk.
"The layered approach we are taking starts with a Pacific Asian colorectal screening questionnaire, followed by a digital rectal examination and fecal occult blood test (FOBT) for high-risk individuals," said the Minister of Health in his online remarks from Jakarta, Saturday, as reported by Antara.
Colocatal cancer is recognized as a challenge in national health, because the majority of patients come to health facilities in an advanced stage.
"If 100 colorectal cancer patients come to our health facilities today, more than 70 of them will come in advanced stage. Not because they are negligent, not because this disease cannot be treated, but because no one detects it early enough," he said.
The Minister of Health also emphasized that colorectal cancer is also a pressing issue in the field of oncology globally, at least 1.9 million new cases every year and is the third most common cancer in the world.
Meanwhile, in Indonesia, this cancer ranks fourth in Indonesia and is also the fifth leading cause of death due to cancer with more than 19,000 deaths each year.
Of the 5 million participants who have undergone screening, his party found 9,000 positive results through anal swab tests and 2,000 positive results through FOBT tests, and these figures are only from participants who continue the examination process.
Meanwhile, the Director of Non-Communicable Diseases at the Ministry of Health, Siti Nadia Tarmizi, said that the treatment of cancer, including colorectal cancer, is currently borne by the BPJS Kesehatan service, but not all drugs as cancer treatment therapy are covered.
"But there are certain drugs, what is possible targeted therapy, then targeted therapy drugs are usually for metastasis, yes, which have spread everywhere, yes. It may not be all of them included in BPJS, because it is expensive," he said.
However, for drugs that are general or general are still covered by the BPJS Health service.
Thus, his party also called on the public to take preventive measures by implementing a healthy lifestyle and eating a lot of vegetables and fruits, while the government, he said, will continue to educate the public about this cancer.
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