‘60,000 kids diagnosed with cancer in India every year ’

Fever for over two weeks and internal bleeding noticed with excreta should not be taken lightly as they indicate serious ailments such as cancer.

Experts on the second and concluding day of the 36th conference of Indian Cooperative Oncology Network (ICON) here said that symptoms for various diseases should not be ignored as paying attention to them made early diagnosis and treatment possible, which was crucial in cases of cancer treatment.

“It’s better to speak to a doctor if you notice any unusual symptom in the child,” said Dr Sameer Bakshi of paediatric oncology department at the AIIMS, New Delhi. “About 60,000 kids in India are affected with cancer in India in a year,” he said.

Particularly, children are unable to tell their problem specifically and symptoms too get delayed, but among the children the treatment result is fast and better if they come to doctor at an early stage, he said. “In western countries, about 70% kids reach hospitals for treatment on time, but in India the ratio is poor,” said Dr Bakshi.

Dr Madhup Rastogi, of the radiation oncology department at Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences said that advancement in diagnostic facilities has enabled doctors to decide line of treatment swiftly.

Dr Gaurav Gupta, senior faculty of the Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences and organising secretary of the programme said that lump in the breast should not be ignored by women, who often avoid sharing it with doctor. He said that cases of breast cancer are on the rise. “Delay in treatment of breast cancer not only increases treatment time but also the cost,” said Dr Gupta.

Experts also said that since there is shortage of experts in the country as per the required strength, early diagnosis can help.