TEHRAN — Iran’s Health Ministry is committed to building 131 cancer diagnostic centers in 13 cities across the country, the ministry’s spokesman said.

These diagnostic centers will also provide the patients with primary treatments, ISNA news agency quoted Iraj Harirchi as saying.

He went on to say that “building such centers are considerably costly and to finance such projects we need to raise fund from other ministries, non-governmental organizations and overseas resources.”

“In line with fundraising efforts we are planning on signing contracts with Defense Ministry and some other non-governmental companies to take a step forward in setting up such centers,” Harirchi added.

Although cancer is getting prevalent in Iran same as other countries that some believe Iran is facing a cancer tsunami is wrong, he highlighted.

80 percent of the leading causes of deaths in Iran are non-communicable disease such as high blood pressure, diabetes, heart conditions, and cancers, the spokesman said adding, healthy diets, getting enough exercise and regular checkups can help minimize the possibility of developing such diseases.

One of the key measures adopted by the Health ministry to fight cancer is screening patients for breast and colon cancers, he noted, stating, early diagnosis of cancers can increase the chances of recovering from it and responding better to the course of treatments.

MQ/MG