‘Large scale lack of awareness about cancer’

The advancement in cancer cure in the last few decades has made it possible to treat nearly 80% of all childhood cancers globally. HT reports.

The advancement in cancer cure in the last few decades has made it possible to treat nearly 80% of all childhood cancers globally. However, cancer experts feel that there is still large-scale lack of awareness not only among people but doctors as well.

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“Not many know that most childhood cancers are treatable too. Out of about 4,000 cancer cases reported in India every year, not more than 20% are diagnosed and treated on time, which is purely due to lack of awareness” said Dr Gauri Kapoor, head of department, Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute.

The hospital, as part of its awareness programme holds a conference with different themes every year.

Not just people, even nurses and paediatricians need to be made aware of the early signs of cancer that can be picked up during routine examination among children and investigated further feel cancer specialists.

The curable cancers include that of blood, lymph nodes, kidney tumours, germ cell tumours etc. Early diagnosis, appropriate treatment and treatment compliance, which means following the medicine doses etc is the key to cure.