General Chair of the Indonesian Cancer Foundation (YKI) Prof Dr Dr Aru Wisaksono Sudoyo highlighted that the number of cancer sufferers in Indonesia continues to increase along with changes in lifestyle.
He also admitted that he was concerned that many cancer patients came for treatment already in advanced stages. In fact, cancer will be easier to treat and has a chance of being completely cured if it is detected early.
“This condition means that many cancer fighters have to drain their income. BPJS Health does cover cancer treatment, but in advanced stages there are certain drugs that are not covered. Therefore, education is the most appropriate solution,” explained Prof. Aru when met in Jakarta, Friday (5/2/2026).
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He reminded that only around 10 percent of cancers are caused by hereditary factors. This means that 90 percent or most of it is related to environmental factors and unhealthy lifestyles.
One thing highlighted is the increasing consumption of ultra processed food (UPF) such as ready-to-eat processed meat. According to him, this type of food has been proven to be at risk of triggering cancer because it goes through a long processing process and uses ingredients such as nitrates and nitrites.
“Now there are lots of ready-to-eat foods, including sausages. Get ready for cancer in the next 20 years, especially in children. Processed meat has been clearly proven to cause cancer,” he stressed.
Prof. Aru explained that cancer does not appear instantly. The process of tumor formation takes a long time, around 5 to 20 years. In fact, when a lump is palpable, the process of abnormal cell division may have started 10 to 15 years earlier due to exposure to carcinogenic substances.
“In the past, food was more natural, now almost everything is industrial. The environment has been damaged from the start, from the way we eat to our lifestyle,” he explained.
He gave the example of colon cancer as a type of cancer that is strongly influenced by diet. In Western countries, around 10 percent of cases occur in people under 40 years of age. Meanwhile in Indonesia, the figure reaches around 30 percent.
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(KNA / KNA)
date:2026-02-07 11:02:00
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