Doctors call for joint effort against cancer
(Times News Network-January 18, 2004)

HYDERABAD : Cancer is frightening. But a change in lifestyle can prevent a majority of cancers. It will be possible only when there are community-based approaches that empower individuals to work together, say cancer experts in the city.

Cancer experts like director of MNJ Cancer Hospital B N Rao, Kalpana Raghunath of Indo-American Cancer Institute and Research Institute and others feel that the need of the day is primary prevention of the disease, for which efforts are needed to propagate awareness on cancer.

Almost every hospital claims that it holds awareness camps. But there are very few hospitals, which hold exclusive cancer detection camps. There is hardly any concerted effort by the government and corporates to create awareness among the masses.

The cancer experts say that if awareness is created among the socially and economically backward sections of the society, common cancers can be prevented. The Indo-American Cancer Institute and Research Centre at Banjara Hills
handles about 250 cases per day.

About 30 to 40 per cent of them pertain to cancer of cervix which is predominant among women of the lower socio-economic group because of early marriages, frequent child births, poor personal hygiene and sexually transmitted diseases.

The doctors say early detection can help prevent common cancers like oral cancer, cervical cancer and breast cancer. What is required is a joint effort by the government, private hospitals and non-governmental organisations.

Records with the MNJ Cancer Institute reveal that 7,307 patients suffering from various types of cancers visited the hospital between April 1, 2002 and March 31, 2003 . The figure includes oral and breast cancer patients also.

In the absence of proper awareness, patients suffering from malignant ulcers or infections of various organs ignore early symptoms. By the time they are detected, the patients cross the early stages. It only increases the financial burden and physical suffering of the patients as the costs of radio therapy and chemotherapy are high.

Health minister Kodela Sivaprasada Rao says that the corporate hospitals should hold more number of camps to screen patients for cancer.

The primary health centres should screen the patients for possible cancer symptoms and advise them to go for further tests so that timely treatment can provided.