‘Annual screening necessary for early detection of cancer’

A free cancer detection camp was organised at Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences while the Indian Cancer Society organised an interaction with patients on the National Cancer Awareness Day on Friday.

Addressing patients and attendants, Dr Shailendra Yadav replied to their queries.

About 160 patients were examined at the camp at the Lohia institute. The camp was inaugurated by prof Nuzrat Husain, director, RMLIMS.

She emphasised on the importance of compulsory annual screening especially for females for early detection of cancer and complete breast examination to rule out the onset of malignancies. Dr Rahat Hadi, associate professor, Radiation Oncology, coordinated the programme under the overall supervision of prof MLB Bhatt, HOD, Radiation Oncology and medical superintendent.

Prof Bhatt said around 10 lakh new cancer cases were added annually in our country and about 30 lakh cancer cases were known at any point of time in the country.

Uttar Pradesh has only 14 cancer treatment centres where as about 2-3 lakh cases are being diagnosed annually. It is a national challenge to provide care and treatment to such a large number of patients.

The cancer is curable completely if detected early. The myth that cancer is not curable is no longer true. About 95% of cancer cases in early stage are curable and 40-50% are even curable in the late stages, said the doctors.