There is a need for a radiation plant to help reduce the number of cancer patient mortalities in the country.

While speaking during the Red Cross and Higher Education Commission Pinktober Afternoon tea, Colonial War Memorial Hospital General Surgeon Dr Ilaitia Delasau says a radiation plant can increase the chance of survival for cancer patients.

Dr.Delasau says undertaking a mastectomy or the removal of the whole breast from cancer patients is not necessary if Fiji has a radiation plant.

“We can remove the lump without removing the breast but we can’t do that in Fiji because we don’t have a radiation plant. Radiotherapy are only done in India, Australia and India. What we need in Fiji is a radiation plant and women need to drive that , women can keep their breast if we have radiation plant because we can do a breast conserving surgery but it has to go with radiotherapy.”

Dr. Delasau says late presentation is also an issue.

“Cancers like bowel cancer, esophagus cancer can be cured with radiation, breast cancer needs radio therapy as part of the treatment, and so we need to radiate the chest wall, and the armpit to clear cancer. So we can cure cancer but the problem at the moment we have is late presentation.”

He adds CWM has three surgeons that operate on cancer patients on a daily basis.