The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Highlighting the dangers of tobacco

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Sunday, Jun 01, 2008
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Highlighting the dangers of tobacco

Staff Reporter

Nearly 200 medical students take part in rally

Bangalore: Nearly 200 medical students participated in a rally organised by the Karnataka Cancer Society in Malleswaram, to highlight the dangers of tobacco here on Saturday.

At a meeting following the rally, organised on the occasion of the World No-Tobacco Day, R.M. Lalitha, oral surgeon at the M.S. Ramaiah Dental College and Vice-President of the Karnataka Cancer Society, said that when tobacco products are claiming the lives of millions worldwide, society must take on the task of creating awareness about the dangers.

Young afflicted

Cancer also appears to be manifesting in people much earlier in life, she said. “Cancer used to be a disease of the elderly. Now I see patients even in their 30s and 40s with tobacco-related cancer,” she said.

One of the most “forgotten diseases” among health care providers is oral cancer, Dr. Lalitha added.

“Bangalore sees 2,000 new cases of oral cancer every year. Gutka is a lethal mix of tobacco powder, sandalwood dust and perfume, and is so easy to procure. The cancer is painless when it develops, and so 70 per cent of those who come to us do so when they have already reached an advanced stage.”Early diagnosis through regular check-ups is essential in order to detect oral cancer early, she said.

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