Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Experts stress need for early detection of cancer

Staff Reporter

Thiruvananthapuram: Oncologists have called for the inclusion of mass screening programmes for early detection of cancer in the public health system as a first step in the war against cancer.

At the 15th national conference of the Indian Cooperative Oncology Network (ICON) which was held here last week, oncologists from various parts of the country stressed on the importance of strengthening the public health system infrastructure so that early cancer detection programmes, including treatment and follow-up, are more accessible to people.

Delivering a lecture on `Early detection: A Key Strategy in Cancer Wars', R. Sankaranarayanan of the International Agency for Research on Cancer, France, said cancer survival rates in India showed scant improvement in the past few years because early cancer detection was not being given enough importance.

In India, oncologists were still battling with cancers in very advanced stages, which left little room for survival.

Early detection of common epithelial cancers like that of the breast, uterine cervix and colon could save lives. The five-year survival rate of early cancers was over 80 per cent, he said.

In the case of oral, breast or cervical cancers even a single examination and a single treatment course could improve cancer survival significantly.

Studies done in the district showed that early detection of pre-cancerous lesions through simple examination of the mouth alone could improve oral cancer survival rate by 30 per cent, with 70 per cent compliance from people. Yet, no advances were made by India in tackling oral cancers and people continued to seek medical help when the cancer was in an advanced stage, Dr. Sankaranarayanan said.

Rashmi Sinha, a senior researcher at the Nutritional Epidemiology branch, National Cancer Institute, U.S, said diet and environmental exposures played a very important role in cancer incidence across the globe.

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