Number one cause of death among Thais is cancer-related diseases
The Ministry of Health has identified that cancer is the number one killer of Thai citizens since 1998, adding that out of 122,757 new cases diagnosed in 2019, 73,000 patients have died. The article did not list the specific cancers although other research indicates that lung cancer is a leading disease amongst Thais.
In comparison, the number of road deaths has decreased from 36.2 per 100,000 people in 2015 to 32.7 out of every 100,000 in the World Health Organisation’s latest report – around 21,000-24,000 annually over recent years.
Thai-language media Thai Rath reports that the dean of Mahidol University’s Medical Department, Dr Piyamit Sitara, says the university has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the National Cancer Institute of Thailand to implement a joint analysis plan, leading to precision treatment for patients.
Mahidol University is Thailand’s premier medical research institute based in Nakhon Phatom, north west of Bangkok.
Both parties will collect blood samples and tissue from cancer patients, checking DNA for a pattern of cancer growth, as well as monitoring how patients are responding to treatment. It’s hoped that DNA and genetic analysis will help in designing precision treatment. This would consist of treatment that is tailor-made for the individual, improving both the quality of the treatment and its chance of succeeding.
The average life expectancy of a Thai citizen is now 75.3 years, compared to the average in many western countries – around 83-86 years of age.
SOURVE: Thai Residents
