The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Cancer vaccine to be given free

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Saturday, Feb 09, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Cancer vaccine to be given free

The vaccine, yet to be introduced, to provide 99.9% protection against disease

HYDERABAD: A new vaccine that protects against the infection caused by human papilloma virus (HPV), stated to be chiefly responsible for cervical cancer, is likely to be supplied free of cost in the country by the World Health Organisation shortly. It is the most common cancer among women in the country and second most common worldwide.

This was announced at a press conference here on Friday by Vijay Anand P .Reddy, Director, Apollo Cancer Institute, which is organising a two-day international conference on ‘Cancers in women and children’ here on February 9 and 10. He said that HPV was the cause in 90 per cent of cervical cancers and three doses of the vaccine, which was yet to be introduced in the country, would provide 99.9 per cent protection against the disease.

Chitty R. Moorthy, Director, New York Medical College, Valhalla, US, which is collaborating in holding the conference, said latest advances in the treatment of cancers in women and children would be discussed. Many cancers in women if detected early could be cured.

The advances in terms of organ preservation, morbidity and prevention would be addressed.

Curable

Murali Chintagumpala, Professor, Department of Paediatrics Oncology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, US, said cancers in children were curable. Almost 90 per cent of leukaemia cases could be cured. Leukaemia is the most common type of cancer among children in India. Similarly, the survival rates were improving for other cancers in children, including brain tumours.

Governor N. D. Tiwari will inaugurate the conference. Union Minister for Women and Child Development Renuka Chowdary will launch the ‘National Apollo Cancer Care Network’.

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