A weeklong cancer screening and awareness camp began on Monday at Max Super-specialty Hospital here.
The visitor will get discounts on cancer-screening tests such as mammography, papsmear, X-ray, PSA, and radiology examinations. Mayor Baljit Singh Birbehman inaugurated the camp.
Deputy commissioner KK Yadav and a team of medical experts from the hospitals were present. The team of radiation oncologists Dr Rajesh Vashistha and Dr Manjinder Singh Sidhu; and surgical oncologist Dr Ved Prakash Kalra will counsel people on cancer-related concerns and educate them about the importance of early detection of the disease.
Punjab, which has 23,874 cancer patients, has reported 33,318 cancer-related deaths in the past five years, says the government report. The Malwa region, which includes Bathinda, Mansa, Muktsar, Patiala, and Sangrur, recorded 107 cancer cases in every 1-lakh population against the national figure of 80. "On World Cancer Day, we thought of educating people about the disease," said Dr Aniruddha Suranglikar, general manager, operations, at Max. "We have the most advanced medical equipment in the region to treat cancer."
"Once known as the cotton belt of India, Malwa turning into the country's cancer belt because of the excessive use of pesticides in agriculture," said Dr Vashistha.
{{/usCountry}}"Once known as the cotton belt of India, Malwa turning into the country's cancer belt because of the excessive use of pesticides in agriculture," said Dr Vashistha.
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