Shun misconceptions about cancer: Shanta

Tiruchirapalli, Oct 30 (UNI) Ramon Magsaysay Awardee and Chairman Cancer Institute, Adyar, Chennai V Shanta has appealed to the medical community to dispel misconceptions about cancer among the people.

Releasing a feature film of 30 minutes duration in a Video Compact Disc (VCD) and DVD format on ''Breast Cancer Awareness'' produced by the city-based Dr K Shantha Breast Cancer Foundation of the GVN Hospitals, here last night, she said over eight lakh new cancer cases were reported annually and it is expected to go beyond nine lakh in the next two years.

Ms Shanta said over 40 per cent men cancer patients were affected by tobacco and 50 per cent of women due to breast and cervical cancer. It is essential to make the people aware that cancer was a curable disease, if detected earlier, she added.

With new cases of cancer on a rapid rise, facilities for treating it has to be enhanced, she said and added that the Government should take initiatives to control the disease.

There was a change in the pattern of cancer incidence due to the changing lifestyle, she said. Earlier, incidence of cervical cancer was due to genetic factor, but today late marriages, late childbirth and food habits have also become an important factor for the disease, she added She said patients should not waste time in approaching the Specialists for treatment. Only a specialised hospital knows the methods of treating cancer and with the sophisticated equipments, cancer is curable, if detected earlier, she added.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr C Thangamuthu, Vice Chancellor of Bharathidasan University said the University in collaboration with the city-based GVN Hospitals, would shortly launch six PG Diploma courses on Radio Therapy, Radio Diagnosis, Nuclear Medicine, and Bio-Medical Engineering, among others.

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