Havana, Sep 24 (Prensa Latina) A conference about the current situation of forgotten tropical diseases of parasitic etiology, and continuity of a symposium about therapeutic products against cancer are part of today’s working program of the conference Labiofam 2014. Use of agricultural products, biofertilizers, assessment of natural products against cancer and HIV/SIDA, are included among other important subject matters in the scientific agenda of the event, opened on Monday in Havana.
Yesterday, experts discussed the current situation of cancer, considered the a world-reaching disease. Malignant tumors in Cuba are the first cause of death and lung cancer is the most frequent in both sexes, said Doctor Lorenzo Anazagasti Angulo, research deputy director of the National Institute of Oncology and Radiobiology.
He spoke about the need to go deep into the risk factors and into changing the Cuban population’s life styles.
Doctor Maria Amparo Estepa, of the University Miguel Hernandez, in Spain, explained that the cancer control programs include from diagnosis, surgery and chemotherapy to new-generation drugs. However, they should search for more selective compounds of light molecular weight that produce less side effects.
Estepa explained to the news agency Prensa Latina that her institution began to work with a natural product obtained in Cuba, and they knew it had anti-tumor activity. In the research process, they achieved a very specific and powerful molecule to treat cancer that also seems not to have side effects.
Tumor locations under research, the results of which have been more favorable are lung, breast, glioblastoma and cervix and uterus cancer, she said.
Labiofam 2014 will conclude on Thursday at Havana’s Conference Center.
