Tirupati, Feb 4 : We cannot treat our way out of the rising cancer caseload and the only solution is prevention, said Dr Naresh Purohit, Advisor for National Cancer Control Programme here on Friday. Cancer is primarily a disease of aging and in the next few years, cancer will become the leading cause of death in India, Dr Purohit told UNI here after addressing a webinar on the importance of prevention in Community Oncology (Public Health) organized by Tirupati based Venkateshwara Institute of Cancer Care and Advance Research on the occasion of World Cancer Day here.
Later in this century, it is likely to be the top cause of death worldwide, he said the shift marks a dramatic epidemiological transition: the first time in history that cancer will reign as humankind’s number-one killer. Epidemiologist and Preventive Oncology Expert Dr Purohit said current research suggests that at least half of cancer cases—estimates range from 30 percent to upward of 70 percent — could be prevented by applying what we already know.
The other half of cancer cases including the elusive and often deadly types often caught too late to make a difference, such as ovarian, pancreatic, and brain tumors—could be detected and potentially even prevented far earlier if basic science and promising diagnostic technologies received the sustained government support they need, the Oncology Expert said. He averred that as every public health professional knows, on a population level, the only way to substantially reduce incidence and mortality for any disease is through prevention.
And on a broader scale, we have made far less progress preventing cancer than preventing its predecessor scourges.”The reality of cancer lies somewhere between the public health ideal of perfect prevention and the depressing stochastic of bad luck,” the expert said Citing his recent scientific report published in the Asia Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention , Lead Author and Principal Investigator for Association of Studies for Cancer Care, Dr Purohit said in the webinar that technology has impacted every aspect of healthcare, including cancer care.
Dr Purohit said telemedicine has made digital consultations and counselling possible even in the remotest areas of the country. Moreover, virtual training helps in upskilling doctors, electronic patient records have decreased the need for bulky files, less invasive and precise diagnostic systems are easily available, remote monitoring systems have made real-time alerts and follow-ups seamless and therapy has become more precise and effective, decreasing the adverse effects.
He pointed on an average, 50 percent, 40 percent and 10 percent of cancer treatment are attributed to surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy, respectively, either in isolation or in combination. He said in India, radiation therapy is a part of cancer treatment in nearly 2/3rd of the diagnosed patients. Precision radiation therapy with sophisticated machines such as linear accelerators has enabled targeted treatment of cancerous cells possible while protecting healthy tissue.
However, the lack of skilled manpower, accessibility to and cost of these cutting-edge treatments remains a challenge, he added. Experts in the webinar revealed that as cancer treatment continues to make enormous progress, newer and targeted therapies help reduce the tumour burden without impacting the patient’s life as adversely as with earlier treatment modalities.
A diagnosis of cancer is therefore no longer akin to signing a death warrant. Each type of cancer is different, each aspect of cancer care—its nature, therapy options, treatment time, cost of treatment, impact on day-to-day activities—can be thoroughly explained by the doctor/trained counsellor to ease the patient’s fears and mentally prepare them for the course of treatment and its effects. They said a holistic awareness programme that sets the patient’s expectations at every step of the journey is essential. Cancer patient support groups can play a huge role as they stand shoulder-to- shoulder with the patient, offering him/her both mental and emotional support.
(With UNI inputs)
