The National Hospital of Guido Valadares (HNGV) does not have the facilities to make complete cancer diagnoses. 
Cyrurgia specialist Joao Pedro said the poor facilities are a big obstacle for doctors to make treatment decisions when attending to their patients as the only diagnostic tools available to them are x-ray and ultrasound equipment.
“However these do not give clear information about the level of the illness itself in order to help us to make decisions,” Pedro said.
He said health centers needed to have early detection capabilities while hospitals require facilities to provide clear diagnoses and early treatment.
He said there were three options when treating cancer; operations, chemotherapy and radiology.
Patients are sometimes kept in the palliative care center.
He explained cancer was caused by life style factors such as smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol or eating unhealthy foods.
Genetic factors also play a role.
People with family members who have suffered cancers of the bowels, breast, cervix or skin are at higher risk of cancer, he said.
Health Minister Sergio da Costa Lobo recognized that HNGV does not have sufficient facilities or staff to attend to cancer patients.
“Timor-Leste just has 12 specialists. Oncology should have sub-specialists,” he said.
He said the Ministry of Health was working with hospitals from countries including Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia to support Timorese health workers.
