Breastfeeding new born babies is one of the best ways to prevent breast cancer, according to Bairo-Pite Clinic director Dr. Daniel Murphy. 
Dr Murphy said many Timorese women contracted breast cancer as they lacked knowledge of the disease and did not have access to facilities for diagnosis.
“It is important for a mother to breastfeed her baby,” Doctor Murphy said, during a campaign to raise awareness of breast cancer in Bidau, Dili.
He said Bairo-Pite Clinic had attended many patients with cancers such as breast cancer, leukemia and liver cancer.
The Clinic Director asked the mothers to vaccinate their new born babies against hepatitis B as hepatitis B was a cause of lung cancer.
“I appeal to the mothers; please vaccinate your babies and go to midwives for the hepatitis B vaccine when your babies are born,” the director said.
National Parliament Member (MP) Ilda Maria da Conceição said preventative education was very important for the communities.
She said by the time many patients presented at the health facilities, their cancers were already at stage three, making treatment difficult.
“I think this campaign is good so when people feel sick they will have to see doctor straightaway but mostly now they go to hospital only when they are very ill so the doctors can not cure them,” she said.
The Fretilin MP said she wished to promote the use of traditional medicines as it was her belief that some cancers could be treated with such medicines.
National Hospital clinic director Aniceto Barreto said from 2010 to present, about half of the population suffering from cancers had registered as such.
He said the cause of cancer was unknown but it was thought that genetic factors played a part.
Baretto said data extrapolated from the list of overseas transfers of patients suffering from conditions such as breast, eye and bladder cancers as well as leukemia, showed most patients were from Viqueque, Lospalos, Balibo, Same and Dili.
“I think the cancer rate in Timor-Leste is low but the intervention is not easy because it takes time to treat,” Director Barreto said.
