Significant increase in nose-ear-throat cancers seen in Israel
Translation from Iris Atzmon in Israel
Within 1 year only: nose-ear-throat surgeries in Rambam hospital increased in 100%
More than 2000 surgeries were done during 2013 in the nose-ear-throat department in Rambam, 2 fold more compared to the previous year
By Doron Solomon
The number of head, neck, and nose-ear-throat surgeries in Rambam were doubled within one year. According to the data of the nose-ear-throat department, the increase was registered mainly in oncology surgeries of the mouth, head and neck, larynx and children surgeries. Thyroid surgeries increased 380% during last year. Increase of 320% was in surgeries for removing tumors in the throat area (from 40 to 128 surgeries). Surgeries of the parotid gland tumors increased 260% in 2013. But the most impressive increase of all, is the increase of 1000% (from 5 to 49) in the number of head and neck surgeries. An additional increase was registered in the number of people treated in the nose-ear-throat department and head and neck surgeries, who arrived from central Israel. In 2013, 1/4 of the people treated in the department arrived from south to Hedera. According to the director of the department, professor Ziv Gil, who started working 1.5 years ago, the data is evidence for the reputation of the department: “As someone who arrived to Rambam from Ichilov, I know how medicine was perceived in the periphery compared to the medical services given in the center. The fact that more and more patients are coming to us from the center, and the huge increase in the level of activity in the department, speaks for itself. We believe in the saying: “the north is the center”. The evidence for this is the fact that every day we see more and more patients who arrive from Eilat, Beer Sheva, Ashkelon, Bnei-Brack, Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Quality is not a matter of geography, and the patients certainly understand that”.
The reason for this increase is explained by professor Gil with a simple medical formula: “the data that arrive from the US and Australia, show that the chances of the patient to get over cancer are 30% higher in university centers like Rambam, where the patient is treated by a team of experts, compared to a treatment by a single doctor”, he clarifies and adds: “the nose-ear-throat and head and neck department doubled its activity during a short period of time, and we intend to continue spreading. In the north of the country there is living a large population, entitled to quality of medical treatment, of the kind that can only be found in university hospitals, and we are here in order to address this need”.
Yedioth Haifa, 30.5.14
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