Thiruvananthapuram: A comprehensive district cancer control programme, a modified scheme under the Central Government's National Cancer Control Plan, will be launched in Thiruvananthapuram this week.

The Regional Cancer Centre here has been nominated by the State Government as the nodal centre for the implementation of this Centre-sponsored scheme.

Cancer surveillance

The programme is to be implemented for a period of five years, during which time intensive cancer surveillance and awareness programmes will be organised in the district as well as in some of the adjoining areas of Kollam.

The programme's focus will be on primary prevention and early detection of cancers. Minimal treatment of common cancers, provision of supportive care, increasing the awareness of cancers among general practitioners and the community and capacity building at district-level are some of the other objectives.

In the first phase, the extensive network of doctors and paramedical staff in the Health Services will be roped in for strengthening the community-based cancer control programme. The stress will be on giving professional training to the doctors working in the area of public health as well as health workers and NGO volunteers in early cancer detection.

The RCC is beginning the training programmes for doctors this week itself. Cancer detection clinics and camps - about 55 camps are being planned in the first year - will be conducted through out the district and those cases that are picked up from these camps will be directed to treatment centres. Augmentation of cancer treatment facilities in the district and setting up a network of pain and palliative clinics have also been envisaged under the scheme.

"Our focus will be mainly on three of the commonest cancers in the State - oral, breast and cancer of the uterine cervix - which can be cured completely if detected in the early stages. The incidence of cervical cancer has come down in the past 10 years while that of breast cancer has been going up steadily, with about 50 per cent of the cases being reported in women under 50 years of age," says a senior doctor at the RCC.

The pre-cancerous stages in oral and cervical cancers could show up five to 15 years before the disease actually sets in. Yet, almost 70 per cent of the cases reach the RCC only in the advanced stage.

House-to-house surveys

Health workers will be trained to do house-to-house surveys and to collect information on tobacco habits and the general health profile so as to pick out any early warning signals. Women will be given instructions on self-examination of breasts so that they can detect any tumours or nodes by themselves.

Health workers will also do a routine examination of the oral cavity to check for any lesions or ulcers. All women above 35 years will be directed to attend one of the early cancer detection camps for cervical cancer screening.

As part of the programme, one institution has been identified as the nodal centre at each taluk for conducting early cancer detection camps. The camp will have facilities for PAP Smear and Colposcopy tests for detecting cervical cancer and also for detecting oral and breast cancers.

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