Cancer care under one roof needed

INCONVENIENCE While KGMU caters to surgical and radiation oncology, patients have to go to PGI for bone scan or a pet scan

LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh does not lack when it comes to advanced diagnostics or day care surgery, but sadly, it does lack integrated cancer treatment facilities, where a cancer patient can get all diagnosis, evaluation and treatment under one roof. As a result, patients wander from one hospital to another or opt for cancer centres in other metros.

The state gets close to two lakh new cancer patients every year and there are more than 5 lakhs patients at any given time but centres like KGMU, Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGI) or Lohia institute are not enough to cater to them.

Sample this: While KGMU caters to surgical and radiation oncology, if patients here require a bone scan or a pet scan, they are referred to PGI that has nuclear medicine. This scan is necessary to see metastasis -- the movement or spread of cancer cells from one organ or tissue to another.

“Such a rush only delays treatment and frustrates the already depressed patient and often becomes the reason for the patients to leave treatment midway,” said Dr Shailandra, an onco-surgeon.

The biggest problem is for those suffering from lung cancer, esophageal cancer or bone cancer.

The branch of medical oncology was absent till recently and is presently represented by just one doctor working as assistant professor in Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences.

“According to the World Health Organisation, one radiotherapy machine can cater to 10 lakh patients. So you can calculate how many machines are required in Uttar Pradesh that has a population of over 20 crore,” said Dr MLB Bhatt of Lohia institute. “The cancer hospital coming up in CG City shall give relief to wandering patients,” he added.

But the centre will take two or more years to start facilitating patients.

Those who opt for other metros for treatment also have to wait.

According to a survey, the maximum number of patients going to Tata Memorial Hospital is from UP but they have to wait for over two months before they get operated upon.