Fighting cancer with cheap treatment and screening

IN INDIA, CANCER CONTINUES TO BE DIAGNOSED IN LATE STAGES, WHEN TREATMENT IS MORE TOXIC AND EXPENSIVE

the incidence of most cancers is much lower in India than Brazil, Russia, China, and South Africa, which are in a similar epidemiological transition. It is substantially lower than in some developed countries with established prevention, screening, and early detection programmes.

The age-standardised incidence of the most common cancers, except breast cancer, has remained static over the past two and half decades, despite under-reporting being more likely two decades ago.

SCREEN TIME

A low-hanging fruit to fight cancer is to strengthen infrastructure and human resources for the prevention and control of the most common cancers, which include those of the mouth and lip, oral cavity, breast, cervix, stomach, lung, pharynx, colon and rectum, leukaemia, oesophageal and brain and nervous system.

Since smokeless tobacco is the biggest risk for many cancers, lowering use through increasing taxes, restricting sale to minors, banning advertising and enforcing graphic package warnings will help lower cases.

Early screening for the three common cancers includes physical examination for oral and breast cancers, and visual exam with acetic acid for cervical cancer.

Even using these basic visual techniques will lead to early referrals and help keep thousands healthy after cancer diagnosis, given that screening the population for breast cancer would be an expensive, logistical challenge and there is no consensus to make HPV vaccination against cervical cancer a part of the universal immunisation programme.