World Cancer Day: Doctors urge annual screening, early detection and treatment for 100% cure to possible full recovery

Despite multiple awareness campaigns against early detection of cancer and its benefits, there are very few takers for the early cancer screening tests, according to city doctors

Despite multiple awareness campaigns against early detection of cancer and its benefits, there are very few takers for the early cancer screening tests, according to city doctors.

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While there are multiple tests that are available at affordable costs, a further fall in the number of people coming forward due to the Covid-19 pandemic was seen in 2020.

Doctors emphasize that lack of awareness about cancer screening tests is landing many people with an advanced stage of cancer while early treatment can save lives.

Dr Girija Patil, breast oncosurgeon from Noble hospital, said, “Today, the incidents of cancer have increased. Every house has a story of a cancer patient, in some close or a distant relative. We should accept cancer as any other disease. Like we do annual tests for diabetes and hypertension, we should undergo basic screening for cancer annually or as advised by a doctor. If we diagnose people early, the patient is going to get a longer life span and there is going to be a time when the patient will be free of treatment. Financially too, it is less tasking if the cancer is diagnosed early. We see many cases, where patients with early diagnosis live a healthy life by getting completely cured of cancer.”

She added, “Women after their 50s should undergo routine check-ups for the pap smear, mammography, and stool of occult blood, carcinoembryonic antigen test, cancer antigen 125, and cancer tests for cervical and ovarian. Similarly, men should undergo, tests like the stool of occult blood, prostate-specific antigen test, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) test, and tests for pancreatic cancers. It costs only ₹2,000- ₹3,000 for an individual to undergo all these tests. If anything comes in these tests, we can then go for higher screenings. Younger generation females, in the recent past, have started coming up for mammography tests because of the awareness, but the middle age and elderly women lack the knowledge of the importance of these tests. People are scared of cancer. Hence, they do not come for regular screening. But they should understand that only when it is diagnosed late, it becomes destructive. If you are diagnosed early, it is like any other disease.”

Dr Yogesh Panchwagh, an orthopedic oncologist from Sancheti hospital, said, “The chances of a patient getting cured are directly linked to early diagnosis when the tumour is smaller in size. The more the delay, the chances are that the malignancy would spread in the body. Treatment of a smaller lesion is easier to do. The bigger the lesion, the chances of a major procedure being required becomes more likely. In that case, many other surgeries like plastic surgery or vascular surgery can be required. Once the patients are cured, they will be cured for life. As far as bone and soft tissue cancers are concerned, any increase in localized limb swelling and pain, not relieved with medicine beyond a time period of two to three weeks has to be investigated. But generally, people neglect such pain and then they come with advanced stage malignancy. However, not all organs and body parts can be regularly screened for cancer. In such scenarios, we have to watch out for symptoms and whenever we suspect, we should do the investigations.”

Dr Sanjay Ingle, a pathologist at Apollo diagnostics said, “In men, oral cavity and gastrointestinal tract cancers are on the rise. Regular health check-ups for detecting cancers are mandatory for everyone above 40 as many follow a sedentary lifestyle. Men who smoke or consume tobacco right from a younger age should go for oral examination every six months. Men above 40 should take prostate-specific antigen (PSA) tests after every year without fail.”

Dr Ingle added, “Before lockdown, around 30 per cent people would take tests after their experts’ advice. Now, only 8 per cent above 40 come for cancer screening. Currently, there is a lot of awareness in people regarding signs and symptoms of cancer. Hence, it is imperative to take charge of health and keep cancer at bay.”