Sidney Rezende: Temer should respect those who are fighting cancer.
"Perhaps before heading to the brand-new subway platform, the vice-president who parachuted into the presidential chair at the Palácio do Planalto should visit more often those who, in their beds, bravely fight against this demonic disease. Preferably in silence. Even out of respect for the patients' relatives and their compatriots," wrote journalist Sidney Rezende, commenting on the gaffe by interim president Michel Temer, who said that Luiz Fernando Pezão looked "more handsome" after his cancer diagnosis.
Cancer, no. Thank you.
By Sidney Rezende
No. It wasn't the "buck-toothed one." It was interim president Michel Temer. And since it was him, and not her, the matter is old news and doesn't deserve so much attention. But, at my age, my memory is better when the subject is "old." If it had happened today, perhaps, like the mainstream press, I also wouldn't remember exactly how it happened…
As you know, the governor of Rio de Janeiro, Luiz Fernando Pezão, appeared bald at the inauguration of Line 4 of the Rio Metro due to the side effects of the systematic chemotherapy he undergoes on Mondays, in the treatment of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a common type of cancer.
Upon meeting him and seeking to demonstrate how affectionate he is, Temer outdid himself: “I want to record my joy at seeing Pezão again. I even told him that there are things that seem harmful that turn out for the best. I'll take the liberty of making a personal comment: Pezão, you look even better. It ended up being a useful thing for Pezão.”
We would say, at the very least, that these are the kinds of "advantages" that, with the exception of Michel Temer, everyone else "decline." The most polite might even be more polite: "No, thank you very much, cancer, no! Thank you. I'll pass."
According to the Inca, cancer is the second leading cause of death from disease in the country (behind only cardiovascular diseases).
The estimated number of new cancer cases in Brazil in 2016 (also valid for 2017) indicates the occurrence of 596.070 new cancer cases.
Excluding non-melanoma skin cancer (approximately 180 new cases), there will be around 420 new cases of cancer (214.350 in men and 205.960 in women).
The observed epidemiological profile is similar to that of Latin America and the Caribbean, where prostate cancer (61.200) in men and breast cancer (57.960) in women will be the most frequent.
The number of cancer deaths in the last 10 years, from 2005 to 2014 (the most recent year available), according to the Mortality Information System, increased from 142.659 to 194.998 cases.
The possibility of cure or survival for the patient depends on a number of factors, such as the type and extent of the tumor, whether or not there is metastasis, and the patient's general condition, as well as pre-existing diseases.
In developed countries, approximately 50% of cases are cured. In Brazil, it is estimated that this number is lower, due to diagnoses being made later.
Meanwhile, the Cancer Foundation faces the major challenge of developing a project to improve care for cancer patients in Rio de Janeiro, encompassing everything from early diagnosis to cure or palliative care. As for the brilliant track record of service of the National Cancer Institute José Alencar Gomes da Silva – Inca, it's so extensive it's impossible to list it all here.
Perhaps before heading to the brand-new subway platform, the vice-president, who parachuted into the presidential chair at the Palácio do Planalto, should visit more often those who, in their sickbeds, are bravely fighting this demonic disease. Preferably in silence. Out of respect for the patients' relatives and their fellow countrymen.