On February 2, Vitebsk / Diana Kurilo - BELTA /. The proportion of deaths from oncological diseases in the total number of deaths in the Vitebsk region is decreasing and in 2011 amounted to 12.9%, the healthcare department of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee informed BELTA correspondent. For the past four years, this indicator has been decreasing and is now lower than the national average, which is 13.4%. The reduction in mortality from oncological diseases became possible due to an increase in cases of detection of oncological pathology at early stages in 2011 to 56.8%, a decrease in the number of patients with detected pathology at late stages to 14.4%, and an increase in the proportion of patients registered for five or more years since the diagnosis of oncological disease to 52.9%. The rate of advanced breast cancer in 2011 was 17.1%. The professionalism of the region's oncologists is supported by the efforts of local authorities to strengthen the material and technical base of the regional clinical oncological dispensary. In 2012, Br27 billion will be allocated from the regional budget in accordance with the regional program of demographic security for the acquisition of a linear accelerator for the institution. In addition, this year it is planned to complete the work and put into operation another building of the dispensary. Last year, the proportion of deaths from circulatory diseases also decreased in the region to 45.5%, including from ischemic heart disease to 26.5%; and respiratory diseases to 3.9%. The overall mortality rate for the year decreased from 16.7 to 16.2 per 1,000 population. In January of the current year, it was 13.3 per 1,000 population. -0-

BELTA