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?Logic, intuition can play vital role?
"Apart from scientific facts, logic and intuition can also play an important role in diagnosing the disease. The researchers need to investigate that whether psychological distress can also cause certain types of cancer in the body," said vice-chancellor of Allahabad University, Prof Rajen Harshe, at the inaugural session of National Update on Oral Pre-cancer and Cancer: Challenges Ahead-2006 here on Sunday.
"Apart from scientific facts, logic and intuition can also play an important role in diagnosing the disease. The researchers need to investigate that whether psychological distress can also cause certain types of cancer in the body," said vice-chancellor of Allahabad University, Prof Rajen Harshe, at the inaugural session of National Update on Oral Pre-cancer and Cancer: Challenges Ahead-2006 here on Sunday.
Prof Harshe said the doctors also need to put imagination and intuition, apart from scientific methods, in correctly diagnosing the disease. What role the logic can play in identifying the disease also need to be studied. It is very important to establish the truth in the science.
"The doctors and scientists need to be very observant in order to prove their competence and identify common components in different scientific methods. There is unity of knowledge in different scientific methods which can be used in solving serious problems," he added. The VC expressed hope that the teachers will sincerely work to make MLN Medical College the best institution in India. He also released the souvenir on the occasion.
Head of Department of Pathology, Dr Mamta Singh, said among the diseases the cancer is considered the most serious and threatening for the mankind. But fortunately largest reported cases of oral cancer in India can be preventable if people are sensitized about the disease. Few years back WHO also declared oral cancer as a largely preventable disease.
"There is an urgent need to diagnose oral cancer in early stages," she said.
Scientific secretary Dr PA Singh said doctors from various specialties have been invited to attend the conference because cancer is not related to any particular field.
Associate professor at Department of Pathology and organising secretary Dr Ravi Mehrotra proposed a vote of thanks. He said today holistic approach is required to treat any disease. Most of the time cancer patients do not know whom to approach for the treatment of his disease. So there is a great need to sensitize people as well as doctors about different types of cancer and latest treatment and diagnostic techniques used in different countries.
"The confluence of mind in the city of Sangam will definitely help in forming a step-by-step strategy towards solving the problem," he said. The programme was conducted by Dr SL Tewarson.
40 pc cases are oral cancer
Eminent epidemiologists, pathologists, oncologists, dental and ENT surgeons including Dr Vijay Hazarey from Nagpur, Dr Dinesh Daftary from Mumbai, Dr Hari Prakash from New Delhi, Dr PC Gupta and Dr BK Mishra from Mumbai and Dr AK Dewan from New Delhi participated in the deliberations. From Allahabad the conference was attended by Dr B Paul, Dr Sushil Rastogi, Dr SS Kapoor, Dr Manisha Dwivedi and Dr Sandeep Singh from Allahabad.
They said the oral cancer accounts for around 40 per cent of the total cancers in India. They expressed concern about the neglected burden of oral cancer, which particularly affects developing countries with low availability of prevention programme and services for oral health.
They also affirmed their commitment to oral health as a basic human right and resolved to continue the work carried out by national and international health authorities, research institutions, NGOs and civil societies for the effective control of oral cancer.
Dr Ravi Mehrotra said India has large number of smokers. In the year 1998-1999, 29.4 per cent females and 2.5 per cent males were reported to be smokers. 4.8 per cent of the Indian youth were smokers in the year 2000. 0.24 per cent of total agricultural land in India was devoted to tobacco growing.
Approximately 80 per cent of India's tobacco is used for its domestic consumption. Its consumption trends suggest that the habit of smoking is gaining ground over chewing. it appears that at least 62 per cent of smoking related which is term of overall load of cancers get translated to one-third of the cancers of all sites, are avoidable, he said.
