Preventive Oncology – Need of the hour

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Mumabi, Maharashtra, India, Republic of (Free-Press-Release.com) February 4, 2011 -- 12 million people affected by cancer in India with tobacco being the leading cause. 55 per cent of cancers are preventive. 65 percent of cancers are detected in the third and fourth stages delaying treatment (Source: IANS). The cancer incidence is on a steady rise.

Dr. Dinesh Pendharkar-Cancer Specialist, Asian Institute of Oncology Mumbai says, “The incidence of cancer increases with age. Average life expectancy in the Indian society is increasing; in turn increasing the cancer incidence. With India’s population explosion, the no of cancer cases are also increasing proportionately”

Dr. Pendharkar adds, “In 2010 there were about 10 lakh new cancer patients detected. There were about 91000 cases of breast cancer and about 1 lakh four thousand cases of cervical cancer in India. About 25 % cancers are tobacco related. As a group, cancer of head and neck area, like oral cavity, mouth, voice box, and throat constitute the vast majority. The pattern is different between rural areas and urban areas. The incidence is higher in urban than rural areas. In urban areas, among men, lung cancer is most common and among women it is breast cancer, especially in the metros. In rural areas there is a higher incidence of head and neck cancer among men and cervical cancer among women”. Thus preventive oncology and early detection is the need of the hour in a developing country like India. Delay in treatment even in a single stage can cost a life.
According to International Society for Preventive oncology, Preventive oncology is defined as “Routine clinical and laboratory procedures for early detection and treatment of cancer, patient management and education, management of curable lesions, education and lifestyle modification”

Screening and early detection

According to data from Tata memorial hospital, Cancer of the head and neck, breast cancer and cervical cancer together, constitute almost about 50% of the cancers in the country. Here is a guide to the screening tests on these three most common types of cancers.
Breast cancer
Breast self-examination: Not a reliable method for diagnosis, but is low cost and makes the patient an active participant in her health.
Mammography: Imaging technique used in determining breast cancer. Types of mammograms in use include film mammograms and digital mammograms. Images from digital mammograms are electronically captured and stored, whereas those from film mammograms are provided via traditional radiographic films. Digital mammography is more accurate in premenopausal women and in women with dense breasts.

Clinical breast examination: Performed by trained medical personnel and has a greater sensitivity when done in combination with mammography.
Cervical cancer
Pap smear: The Papanicolaou (Pap) smear is the standard screening test for cervical cancer. Two methods of Pap smears are in current use- the conventional smear and liquid-based cytology. The performances of these tests are similar for identifying high-grade squamous lesions with the potential to develop into cancer.

Human Papilloma Virus testing: Two types of tests have been developed to identify high-risk types of HPV, the etiologic agent for most cervical cancers. The first type identifies whether any of 14 high-risk HPV types are present. The second test, detects HPV types 16 and 18, which are responsible for the majority of cervical cancers and high-grade cervical lesions.


Cancer of the head and neck
Physical examination: Gives a rough idea to the health care provider but not a reliable method of screening. Laboratory investigations surely need to be carried out before confirming the cancer. Yearly physical examination of the head and neck region and routine dental examination may help screen such cancers.
Lifestyle modification
Tobacco usage

India is one of the highest producer and user of tobacco which is the leading cause of cancer in the nation. Usage of tobacco and its products can be done using nicotine replacement therapy. Nicotine replacement therapy provides nicotine without the other components of tobacco and can be administered through a patch, nasal spray, chewing gum, lozenge, or inhaler. Clinical trials have demonstrated that the use of nicotine replacement doubles the rate of quitting tobacco use. The addition of antidepressant medication may increase the efficacy of nicotine replacement.
Diet
Diet cannot cure cancer but can definitely help prevent it. Include a high fibre and anti-oxidant rich diet. Fibre prevents certain types of cancer like colon cancer. Anti-oxidants are needed to trap free radicals which are potent carcinogens. Rich sources of anti-oxidants are dark coloured fruits and vegetables, nuts. Essential fatty acids found in walnuts, salmon, sunflower, safflower oils etc are also anti-cancerous. Supplementation of specific minerals like calcium has shown to reduce incidence of any cancer in women and colon cancer in men and women.

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