Early cancer diagnosis on rise: Dr Bikramjit
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, December 18 2023:
The cancer survival rate is on the rise due to early diagnosis and detection of the same owing to mass awareness campaigns.
Among this, cervical cancer, which is one of most common cancers in women, is caused by the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV).
As such, taking a preventive shot can help prevent the cancer from occurring, said Trevi Hospital chairman and managing director and medical oncologist Dr RK Bikramjit.
Addressing a press meet at Trevi Hospital, Langol Laimanai on Monday, Dr Bikramjit noted that owing to increased awareness about cancer and prompt consultation with oncologists by people on any suspicion, there has been encouraging survival rate of late.
The patients either are brought to the curable stage or the lifespan lengthened.
Among the many types of cancer, cervical cancer is most common among women, which is often detected in early stages during screening.
Around 99.9 per cent of cervical cancer is caused by HPV infection.
Regular test every three or five years to check for HPV infection after 21 years of age will help in detecting any changes before the cancer occurs, he stressed, adding that getting HPV vaccine can also prevent the cancer.
The shot can be given to females from nine years of age, with 9-15 years old receiving two dosages every six months and after 15 years of age, every two months.
The vaccine will not only prevent the infection but also cervical cancer.
Females should also consider a health check with regard to irregular menstrual cycles or bleeding, he explained.
Observing that women seeking treatment for cervical cancer are often found to be over 40 years old, Dr Bikramjit informed that womb cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the world.
In India, breast cancer is the most common, followed closely by womb cancer, he conveyed.
Dr Bikramjit then said that the new cancer screening programme is exceedingly effective, which in turn, is helping to lower the rate of diagnosis at the last stage.
In Manipur's context, the last stage diagnosis was around 11 per cent 10-20 years ago, but is now at around 9.2 per cent.
Tamil Nadu is at the top of the ranking, while Manipur stands at 27th place.
He informed that at the early stage, a surgeon provides the treatment; in middle stage, chemotherapy is required; while both chemotherapy and treatment is necessary in case the affected area is large.
Overall, the survival rate is 60 per cent in the advance stage if radiotherapy is initiated and 66 per cent in case of chemo-radiation.
After a decade, some trials were conducted in 2009.A doctor pioneered and designed a trial at AIIMS with funding from the UK government.
The trial checked whether providing chemotherapy further improved the survival.
An article in this regard was presented as an abstract in a related conference, Dr Bikramjit conveyed.