Experts bat for cancer care beyond Hyderabad

HYDERABAD: If one were to go by World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines, Telangana would need to set up 35 cancer centres as it recommends one centre for every 1 million population (10 lakhs).
The reality is that not just Telangana state, but even neighbouring Andhra Pradesh depends upon the state run MNJ Institute Of Oncology & Regional Cancer Centre, the lone dedicated tertiary level cancer centre catering to population of 8 crore, including 3.5 crores in Telangana free of cost.
This even after reports suggest that India witnesses about 12-15 lakh new cancer cases every year (including an estimated 2,400-3,000 new cases in Hyderabad) and this is expected to double in 20 years, unsettling experts.
"We can reduce the cost of cancer treatment by 50% and chances of improvement in 50% cancer cases, if secondary and primary cancer centres can be set up in every district but the fact is that there are only 16 medium and large cancer hospitals - almost all of them in private sector and based in Hyderabad," said Dr P Vijay Anand Reddy, national president, National Oncology Forum.
Explaining the gravity of the situation, he said that India has a mere 400 cancer centres catering to a population of 1.25 billion when actually it must be having at least over 1250 cancer units as per WHO's recommendation.
While speaking on the run up to International Cancer Conclave being hosted by Apollo Cancer Hospitals in the city from February 2-5, Dr Reddy said that Hyderabad-based 16 cancer hospitals alone treat around 15% of the 12 lakh new cancer cases detected in the country every year.
Though a population based cancer registry has been allotted to Hyderabad by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and work is on to find out the city's cancer burden, consensus among experts show that breast cancer remains the top affected site in women comprising 55% cases, followed by 25% cervical cancer and remaining head and neck cancer.
In Hyderabadi males, the top cancer site is said to shared equally between head & neck and Gastrointestinal Cancers at 25% each followed by lung cancer at 15% and rest other cancer types.
What's worse is that 55% of cancers are preventable with healthy lifestyle and food habits and rest 45% non-preventable cancers due to reasons beyond our control like pollution, hormone induced, viruses, genetic reasons, ultraviolet radiation could still be treated provided they are diagnosed early.
"Screening cancer cases at early stages can help save lives but there are no rural cancer centres both in private and government sector. The Medical Council of India (MCI) can intervene by making it mandatory for all medical teaching colleges to start radiation oncology department," suggested Dr C Sai Ram, clinical oncologist and vice-president, Hyderabad chapter of Indian Medical Association.
Population-based screening for breast cancer has been popularised by KIMS-Ushalakshmi Breast Cancer Foundation in both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh in the last five years screening about 2 lakh underprivileged women between ages of 35-65 spread across nearly 4,000 villages in 15 districts of both states but the same is yet to start in case of cancer sites.