Fijians continue to disregard advice from medical personnel’s, cancer survivors and advocates about the consequences of late presentation to hospitals.

Education Minister Rosy Akbar says this is very worrying and something needs to be done to ensure Fijians understand how serious the killer disease is.

Akbar highlighted this at the MIOT International cancer conference in Nadi yesterday.

She says it’s more shocking to see that despite warnings about the consequences of late presentations, some continue to seek medical advice at a very late and serious stage.

“Why are our Pacific women reaching hospitals late, why are they seeking doctor’s advice late? I have seen this when I was at the Ministry of Health, when they come to the hospitals to seek advice at the last minute with flesh actually decaying and I’ve seen that and Doctors would also agree with that. How do we let it get to that stage?”

The Minister says there is a lot to be done to break these barriers and ensure Fijians take the advice seriously.

Akbar also highlighted in 2017, 281 females and a man were diagnosed with breast cancer.

However, in 2016, 329 females and nine men were identified with the killer cancer.

She adds 433 males have also been diagnosed with prostate cancer in the last decade.