Two hundred and sixty cancer cases have been registered by the Fiji Cancer Society as of May.

Two hundred and sixty cancer cases have been registered by the Fiji Cancer Society as of May.

Chief Executive, Berlinda Chan says in May alone – they recorded 24 new cases.

Chan says they are currently assisting these patients as the recent numbers are a major increase compared to previous years.

She adds a number of deaths have also been recorded in the first few months of this year.

“We’re losing as many patients as we are gaining new ones so of course our patients in the final stages we do lose them. But there’s always a couple more or a handful more that are being confirmed so it balances the scale for us. But for these patients, there’s nothing else that can be done for them.”

Chan adds breast cancer still tops their chart followed by colorectal and cervical.

“Breast Cancer is still high. Colorectal has increased and so has cervical. With the men it’s prostate then you’ve got lung cancer. Then you have patients who are basically presenting very late. So it’s really hard for the doctors to diagnose where it initially happened.”

Last year, the Society recorded 250 cases out of which 29 people lost their battle with cancer.