Science News Desk!! According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) report, the cancer projections for the years 2021-2025 are alarming and are expected to increase from 2.67 crore in 2021 to 2.98 crore in 2025. On World Cancer Day, Dr. Sharat Damodar, Chairman, Narayana Health Oncology Collegium said, India has 1.4 crore Years of Life Lost (YLL), of which 1.36 crore are women. World Cancer Day is observed annually on 4 February to raise awareness about cancer and encourage its prevention, detection and treatment. Sharat Damodar said, people above the age of 40 years need to be alert for any symptoms of prolonged fever, weight loss, unusual swelling or bleeding and get themselves checked immediately.
He said, one should adopt a healthy lifestyle, avoid smoking, alcohol, high fat foods, canned food, adulterated food, environment polluted with unhealthy gases or radiations etc. Trying to live a stress-free life can be the key to a cancer-free tomorrow. According to some previous data, the most common cancers seen in men include oral, lung, stomach, large intestine, and in women, breast, cervical, ovarian, oral cavity, and colorectal. Damodar said that the most common cancer in children is leukemia. About 30 percent of children are affected by this cancer and about 80 percent of them develop acute lymphocytic leukemia.
However, north and north-east India shows the highest risk, he said. According to the ICMR-NCDIR report, 2021, 1 in 7 men and 1 in 6 women in the age group of 0-74 years were suffering from cancer in Karnataka. Damodar said, “At Mazumdar Shaw Medical Center, Narayana Health City, we are treating 1100 to 1200 new patients in a year, out of which 500 to 600 are men, 500 women and about 100 children. In the last 4-5 years we are seeing that 15 to 20 percent breast cancer, 15 to 20 percent head and neck cancer and about 10-15 percent gynecological cancer cases. We need to resolve towards self-awareness towards the disease, he said. Cases were under-detected during the pandemic, hence the underreported number of cases.
–IANS
SGK/ANM