UP has 25 pc oral cancer patients below 30 yrs

Varanasi, Dec 3: An estimated 25 per cent of oral cancer patients in Uttar Pradesh are aged below 30 years, a radiation oncologist from Kanpur Medical College has claimed.

''Thirty per cent of all cancer patients, being reported in different medical colleges in UP, are suffering with oral cancer, caused particularly by the prolonged consumption of tobacco in all forms,'' radiation oncologist at the J K Cancer Institute of Kanpur Medical College Avdhesh Dikshit told mediapersons here yesterday.

Prof Dikshit is here to attend the ongoing four-day Cancer Conference organised by the Association of Radiation Oncologists of India at the Banaras Hindu University (BHU).

Detailing oral cancer most common cancer in the country, Prof Dikshit said registrations at cancer camps organised at medical colleges in Lucknow, Kanpur, Allahabad and Varanasi have revealed 25 per cent of such pationts are those aged below 30 yrs.

He claimed the youngest oral cancer patient in Kanpur is just 16.

A major public awareness campaign against the intake of tobacco in all forms needs to be launched in the state especially one that treats tobacco consumption as ''cultural pollution.'' Besides, the use of pyschological counselling in schools and colleges to figure out causes behind increasing pan masala and gutkha intake, followed by psychological treatment to help the students concerned quit the dangerous habit should be started, Prof Dikshit added.

Stressing for greater role of preventive oncology rather than surgical or radiation based oncology for limiting the cases of oral cancer, Prof Dikshit said one-third of all cancers particularly oral cancer are curable if diagnosed early.

If a person who has been consuming tobacco is unable to open his mouth properly, spots white or brown marks in the mouth or else observes that even small oral wounds are not healing despite medication, the person concerned should without any delay report to an oncologist.

''If an oral cancer is detected during the occurrence of such symptoms, the disease can be cured. But delay after this stage makes the disease non-curable as therapy in such cases will improve survival only,'' Prof Dikshit added.

UNI