“Every cancer patient, even if he or she is used to fasting on Yom Kippur, is advised to consult with his or her physician ahead of the fast.”
MAAYAN JAFFE-HOFFMAN
The Israel Cancer Association has released a set of guidelines for patients with cancer ahead of Yom Kippur fast day.
Every cancer patient, even if he or she is used to fasting on Yom Kippur, is advised to consult with his or her physician ahead of the fast and should refrain from fasting without receiving medical advice,” the association said in a release. “This recommendation is particularly important for those undergoing radiation or chemotherapy treatments.”
Professor Abraham Kooten, an oncologist and chair of the cancer association, said that fasting cannot only harm patients, but can also cause “unpleasant symptoms and sensations.”
Patients who take medication regularly should continue to take them, even on Yom Kippur and even if they are fasting,” Kooten explained.
Cancer is the number one killer in Israel, according to a December report by Israel’s Centre Bureau of Statistics. The rate of cancer deaths in Israel is 177.1 deaths for every 100,000 people.
At one point there was an assumption that Jews of Eastern European descent were more genetically prone to cancer than other groups. However, a 2001 study by a researcher for the Amercan Cancer Society found that Ashkenazi Jews do not appear to have a higher total cancer burden in comparison to other North Americans.
Published by The Jerusalem Post
