2 in 10 cases at GCRI of mouth, breast cancer

Ahmedabad: Mouth and breast cancer combined made up two out of every 10 cases admitted to the Gujarat Cancer Research Institute (GCRI) from Jan-Nov 2025. During this period, the institute recorded 16,794 patients — 10,096 men and 6,698 women — for various cancers.According to GCRI officials, out of the total, 1,931 men were admitted for mouth cancer and 1,456 women were admitted for breast cancer.
GCRI director Dr Shashank Pandya said that the types of cancers have remained the same overall over the past few years. "What has changed is the approach. We see more patients coming in at a relatively early stage. There has been a rise in awareness too. Today, new tools and technologies are available to oncologists, and thus results — in terms of recovery period as well as preservation of limbs and tissues — are better," he said.In the past six months alone, GCRI carried out 50 robotic surgeries. One of the new initiatives is hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPAC) for abdominal cancers, where the treatment reduces residues of cancerous cells. Officials added that they also launched a screening initiative for HPV DNA screening for HIV-AIDS patients at Civil Hospital and identified a 21% HPV-positive rate among females.As this year's World Cancer Day is being observed under the theme, ‘United by Unique,' oncologists in the city have stressed personalized support, research, and equitable access to treatment. Several organizations in the city recently brought together cancer winners, and several events, including one at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Memorial, were held on Tuesday to mark the day."The focus of the day is on early diagnosis and intervention. Today, treatment options are available, but the need of the hour is to create awareness," said Uday Vora, retired chief conservator of forest (CCF) with the state forest department. Vora was diagnosed, and later operated on for rare skin cancer identified as dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP). His wife is also a cancer survivor and a crusader for cancer awareness and screening."We have many stigmas associated with the condition. We have even seen people leaving their spouses. There are often cases of patients getting advice for alternative treatment. Through events and active community participation, we try to bust myths and create awareness," added Vora.Dr Jignesh Shah, president of Ahmedabad Medical Association (AMA), said that they recently organized an event to celebrate the journey of cancer warriors. "The message of the day is to ensure that families have knowledge of both preventive steps and self-screening to ensure early prevention and detection," he said.