An Initiative To Increase Cancer Awareness In Indians

With over 1.3 million new patients and over 850,000 deaths annually, cancer is one of the leading causes of death and disease in India. Researchers and doctors highlight that cancer screening in India has taken a backseat because of the ongoing Covid pandemic and predict a rise in cancer cases as a direct consequence. In fact, one of the reasons that we don’t see stellar outcomes in Indian cancer patients, is the lateness of the diagnosis.

For something that affects so many of us, there is very little conversation about it. This is something that doctors at Manipal Hospitals are trying to remedy. With the Can Conquer Cancer Initiative, Network 18 and Manipal Hospitals have joined forces to raise awareness about the most common types of cancer, and their prevention, treatment and cures.

As a part of this initiative, Network18’s Ruchiraa Sharma was in conversation with Dr. Rohit Kumar C, Consultant Surgical Oncology and Dr Nitin Murthy, Medical Oncologist and Hemato Oncologist at Manipal Hospitals to gain clarity on this deadly disease.

What Is Cancer, really?

According to Dr Rohit, in layman terms, cancer is an abnormal and uncontrolled division of cells. He explains that cancer occurs when normal division of cells undergoes some sort of interference that then causes abnormal growth. Normally, the immune system takes care of these misfires, but sometimes, they get through.

This is why early diagnosis is very critical. According to Dr Rohit, the mortality rate in India for Cancer is around 45-50% – that’s 1 in every 2 people diagnosed, and sadly, the biggest reason for these numbers is the delay in diagnosis

Are There Symptoms We Should Look Out For?

Unfortunately, the general symptoms of cancer can be vague – a loss of appetite, weight loss, irregular sleep: symptoms that can easily be attributed to a bad day at work. So why don’t Indians undergo regular cancer screenings? According to Dr Nitin, it’s because of the popular myth that cancer is genetic and runs in families

“The first thing I hear when giving someone a diagnosis is: No one in my family has cancer, how can I get cancer? People don’t realise that cancer is a multifactorial disease and almost 1/3rd of cancers are tobacco related." Other factors that contribute to cancer are alcohol consumption, bad diets, low level of physical activity and even lack of sleep. Our lifestyles, in essence, have a lot more to do with the disease than our genes

Is Cancer Still Incurable?

Not according to these doctors. Dr Nitin talks about Manipal Hospital’s multidisciplinary team approach involving surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, as well as path breaking treatments like HIPEC, PIPAC, and Immunotherapy to improve outcomes than those achieved in silos. There is no set formula here. Depending on what works best for the patient, a customised approach is agreed upon.

Knowledge is power, as Dr Rohit says. Arm yourself with the right information, so you can support yourself and your loved ones in the fight against cancer. Visit the CanConquerCancer campaign website to access all videos, articles, and webinars, and help spread the word.

This article has been written by Studio 18 on behalf of Manipal Hospitals.

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