Ministry of Healthcare reports progress in early cancer diagnosis in Kazakhstan

On Feb. 4, World Cancer Day, Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Healthcare revealed cancer statistics for 2024. Over the past year, the number of people diagnosed with the disease rose by nearly 6%.

«In 2024, over 230,000 cancer patients were under continuous monitoring, which is 5.9% more compared to 2023,» the agency said in a statement.

According to the Ministry of Healthcare, 40,000 new cancer cases are recorded annually, with over 12,000 Kazakhstanis dying from the disease each year.

«The most common types of cancer include breast cancer (5,652 cases), colorectal cancer (4,029 cases), lung cancer (3,833 cases), stomach cancer (2,907 cases) and cervical cancer (1,921 cases),» the statement read.

On the positive side, the practice of an early cancer diagnosis has improved in Kazakhstan. 

«Thanks to the measures taken in 2024, 31.4% of new cancer cases were diagnosed at early stages (0 and I), and the death rate caused by tumors was reduced by 3.2%,» the ministry highlighted.

In early December, Kursiv.media reported that six patients in Kazakhstan participating in a clinical trial of a cancer treatment drug developed by local scientists saw a slowdown in tumor growth, and one even experienced the tumor shrink.