Cancer scare continues, cases twofold in India: study

Shocking and still uncontrollable! The figured statistics shows that cancer cases have increased almost double in the India since last two years. Nearly 5 per cent increase have been witnessed in cancer and things are turning bad as cancer is second big threat to human being after cardiovascular disease.

Reports have confirmed that Indian population statistics shows that the death rate due to cancer in India was alarming and high in 1990 and 2013 but it had been increased 5 percent between in 2012 and 2014. In 1990, the fatality rate was reported to be about 12 percent, later in 2013, it was increased by 3 percent around the world. On Friday, the latest report ‘Global Burden of Cancer-2013′ has been released and as per report, deaths from the cancer have increased by 60% in India.
Health minister JP Nadda has given reports on Friday in which he said, “The increase in cancer cases may be attributed to ageing population, unhealthy lifestyles, use of tobacco and tobacco products, unhealthy diet etc”. Nadda also confirms that the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is carrying out a National Cancer Registry Programme based on 29 population-based and 29 hospital-based registries.

source:http://www.livepunjab.com

Elephant genes hold big hopes for cancer researchers.

Elephants have 100 times more cells in their bodies than humans, which should make them far more vulnerable to cancer than we are. But less than 5 percent of elephant deaths are linked to cancer, which researchers credit to the animals’ abundance of cell-suppressing genes -- genes that might represent the next step forward in the fight against cancer.

source:http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/elephant-genes-hold-big-hopes-for-cancer-researchers/

'Train rural health workers to detect breast cancer early'- Report

Contradicting the common belief that breast cancer is an urban disease, Dr P Raghuram, Padma Shri, and president of Association of Breast Surgeons of India, said on Saturday that the disease is increasing in rural areas, too.He said that the number of cervical cancer cases, has been catching up with the figures of breast cancer, which accounts for more than 20% of cancer cases in Indian women.
Raghuram, while talking on the sidelines of an event 'Gujarat Breast Meet-2016' here on Saturday , said that there is a need to train health workers to diagnose breast cancer."There is a social taboo about the cancer, and lack of awareness in women. Shockingly , the number of cervical cancer cases are catching up with that of breast cancer," he said.
"As the age of marriage has been raised, the gap between having two children has also increased and there is also a tendency to avoid breastfeeding These could have raised the occurrence of breast cancer among women in rural India," he said.
Raghuram has roped in health workers to screen women in rural areas. These health workers have travelled across 3,700 villages in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and saved thousands of women from falling prey to breast cancer.
Raghuram said that he has conducted this awareness programme in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Tamil Nadu, and wants the programme to be replicated in other Indian states, too. He said that as the country is highly populated, use of mammography to diagnose breast cancer is not possible. Therefore, health workers should be trained to detect the disease in early stages, he added.
"I have met Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding this issue as we wanted to replicate this screening programme in other states. At present, we want to implement it in Karnataka and Gujarat. If this succeeds, then other states will follow the benchmark," he said.

source: The times of India

Cancer awareness fashion show set for Virginia Beach.

Dozens of models will take to the runway on Saturday to display the latest in fashions, while raising funds for those battling cancer. And, all the models will be cancer patients or survivors.

The annual MTB Hampton Roads Cancer Awareness Fashion Show is organized by Justin Pantophlet, who founded the MTB (More Than Boobs) Cancer Foundation five years ago when his brother-in-law died of lung cancer. “We put on events for people with all types of cancers,” he said. “Even if the name of the cancer is different, many of the struggles are the same.”

During the fashion show, each model walks out to a song of their choosing, while the audience hears their story of personal triumph. The evening includes a remembrance lighting ceremony and music by a local band.

Keisha O’Neal participated in the fashion show several years ago, shortly after she was diagnosed with stage 2 papillary thyroid cancer.

“My diagnosis was so new, that I ended up crying through part of the show,” the Brigadoon resident said. “It tends to be an emotional night, but it’s so very therapeutic.”

O’Neal was being treated for lingering pain as a result of a car accident when a MRI revealed the cause of her pain, and also a soft tissue mass. Now, as a cancer survivor, O’Neal said she tries to take more risks, and modeling in the fashion show is one way of doing that.

MTB Cancer Foundation fundraisers include the Cruising for Cancer pub crawl and Raise Your Voice karaoke contest. Donations provide assistance to cancer patients and survivors who lack necessities during treatment and recovery.

Pantophlet, an Oceanfront resident, begins planning the annual fashion show in August. A staff member at First Colonial High School, he encourages students to volunteer at the event.

“But on the evening of the show, I try to find a few minutes to just sit back and watch everyone smiling and enjoying the moment,” he said.

source:http://pilotonline.com/

Number of people suffering from cancer jumps to 350,000 a year in UK

More than 179,000 men are diagnosed yearly in the UK compared with nearly 173,000 women.

The number of people suffering from cancer has jumped to 352,000 a year with an aging population the main reason for a 12 per cent rise in cases over the last two decades.

More than 179,000 men are diagnosed yearly in the UK compared with nearly 173,000 women.

Although the chance of getting the disease is higher than ever survival rates have doubled since the mid-1990s, according to new figures released by Cancer Research UK today (Wednesday). 

Better treatments, more accurate tests, earlier diagnosis and screening programmes are giving people greater hope they can defeat cancer - and cancer death rates in the UK have fallen by nearly 10 per cent over 10 years.

However, survival rates for lung, pancreatic and oesophageal cancer are examples are still low - partly because they tend to be diagnosed at a later stage when they’re much harder to treat.

Nick Ormiston-Smith, from Cancer Research UK, said: “People are living longer so more people are getting cancer. But the good news is more people are surviving their cancer. There’s still a huge variation in survival between different cancer types and there’s a lot of work to do to reach [our] ambition for three in four patients to survive their disease by 2034.”

source:http://www.independent.co.uk/

6 myths surrounding one of the most deadly diseases :CANCER

Cancer, diabetes, heart diseases and stroke--some of the biggest health slayers that the world is currently fighting. What adds to the misery though, is that full treatment for a disease like cancer (well, most types of cancers) is still not prevalent.

Celebrating #WorldCancerDay today, we need to spread awareness about the preventive measures one can take from the very beginning, in order to keep the life-threatening disease at bay. But first, let us give you a low-down on the most baffling misconceptions about this lethal disease and why we must wipe them out without delay.

Dr. Pawan Gupta, Additional Director, Surgical Oncology, Jaypee Hospital, Noida told us, "Cancer is not a killer. What kills is carelessness and ignorance, delayed diagnosis and denied or wrong treatment. The only thing that can change the prognosis of a cancer patient is early diagnosis and awareness."

Furthermore, he shared these common myths about the disease.

• Cancer means death: One of the most commonly used lines for cancer is that it directly, clearly, strongly refers to death. However, cancer, if detected and diagnosed at an early stage, can be treated. While doctors have not yet found a foolproof cure for all types of cancers, some of the forms of cancer are treatable and can be controlled even at advanced stages.
• Cancer mutilates the whole body: Organ preservation with functional rehabilitation is possible for cancer. The new modalities and advancement in surgeries have made it possible. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy are equally sound measures to add quality years to a patient's life.
• Cancer is painful from the start: Most cancers are present in the body as painless lumps or in the form of ulcers. Cancer is painful in the advanced stages when it invades the local tissues or nerves. One needs to be careful about any such new formation of lumps in any part of the body, which, when unattended, may result in tumours.
• Cancer is contagious: Cancer is not an infection; it develops from the cells within our body. It cannot spread from one person to another by touch or contact. Cancer patients should be allowed to live a normal life and isolation is something that needs to be given extra importance because in most cases, living a life in depression may add to the patient's cause of death.
• Cancer is better treated by alternative medicine: One should aim for an evidence-based treatment. It is often recommended to get proper medical assistance and treatment tests done before reaching any such conclusions. No alternative medicine has been proved effective in treating cancer till date.
• Tumour biopsy spreads cancer: There are very less chances that a cancer can spread to other body parts from biopsy. Surgeons follow a standard procedure and a multi-pronged approach to avoid the spread of cancer cells during biopsy.

source:India Today

Let's beat CANCER sooner :)

#Hope #ADAYTOUNITE #Hope

World Cancer Day: Air pollution, tobacco top cancer causes in India

Air pollution, certain viral infections, along with tobacco in its many forms, are among the top five avoidable causes of cancer in India, concluded an extensive review of close to 500 known carcinogens by the ministry of health and family welfare.

The top three carcinogens are smoking and chewing tobacco, areca nut (supari) and betel quid (paan, paan masala), which together have made oral cancer the most common cancer in India. Of them, tobacco in its three forms — chewing, smoking and second-hand smoke — accounts for 30% of all cancers in India.
“Most people don’t link viruses with cancer, but viruses such as human papillomavirus (HPV) have been proven to cause cervical cancer and Hepatitis B is linked with liver cancer,” said Dr Harit Chaturvedi, director of surgical oncology at Max Healthcare.
Getting vaccinated against both these viruses – Hepatitis B vaccine is a part of routine immunization in India – can protect against cervical cancer in women and liver cancers in both genders, Dr Chaturvedi suggested.
Annually, an estimated 30 lakh people in India suffer from cancer; of these 11 lakh are new cases and the disease claims 5 lakh lives each year. The cancers that claim most lives in India are also the most common, including oral, breast, cervical and lung cancers.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer Monographs lists 481 agents and environmental factors that are carcinogenic, probably carcinogenic, or possibly carcinogenic to humans.
“The international list is massive and some causative agents are not relevant in the Indian context. For India’s monograph, 500 known carcinogens were reviewed and recommendations were given on what is being done and what needs to be done to prevent these cancers,” says a health ministry official who did not want to be named.
India’s National Health Profile 2015 estimates that cancer in men will rise by 19% by 2020, with mouth cancer registering the highest spike. In women, cancer cases will go up by 23%.
source:http://www.hindustantimes.com/

India emerging as top hub for robot-assisted surgeries: Experts

Reasonable costs, less pain, early recovery and increasing awareness have put India on the global map when it comes to robot-assisted surgeries across the health spectrum and the country is poised to take a leap soon, some of the leading robotic surgeons have said.

According to the latest data from hospitals, Mumbai recorded over 70,000 robotic surgeries in 2015 -- mostly on patients from abroad. Delhi and Bengaluru have performed nearly 20,000 and 25,000 robotic surgeries, respectively.

More specifically, patients from the Middle East and Africa appear to be making a beeline for robot-assisted surgeries in India because either they do not have advance robotic surgery facilities in their home country or, if available, its very expensive.

"I get at least one to two inquiries for robotic surgeries every week. These inquiries are usually from the Middle East and Africa. In the last two months alone, I had operated on seven patients with prostate cancer from out of India," Dr Anup Ramani, consultant robotic and uro-oncological surgeon from Saifee Hospital and Breach Candy Hospital, Mumbai, told reporters.

Dr Ramani said that for early prostate cancer the best treatment is through robotic surgery. In India, prostate cancer has seen a sharp rise and it affects the rich and the poor alike. "It is very important for men to do a prostate specific antigen (PSA) test once a year after 50," Dr Ramani said.

In New Delhi, Dr Vipin Tyagi, consultant urologist and robotic surgeon in Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, successfully performed robotic surgery recently on a four-year-old girl suffering from congenital grade 5 bilateral Vesico Ureteric Reflux (VUR), a disease in which urine starts going back from bladder to kidneys.

"She was having high fever with recurrent urinary tract infection since birth and was brought to Sir Gangaram Hospital. Tests confirmed that she had VUR," Dr Tyagi said.

The parents wanted to avoid any big incision in the little girl and it was not easy to do minimally-invasive surgery either. "We decided to go in for robot-assisted bilateral ureteric reimplantation. The use of big robot, especially for VUR, is uncommon in children because it is difficult to get working space for the robotic arm inside the abdomen of a small child," the doctor said.

The team then decided to make certain modifications and improvisation for docking of the robotic arms in the way to get just sufficient working space for the procedure. The girl was back home after two days. Follow-up scans and reports showed the VUR had been cured.

"Robotic assistance provides incomparable 3D vision, better range of movements and it seems as if the surgeon has introduced his wrist inside the abdomen of the patients," Dr Tyagi explained.

According to Dr Meghal Sanghvi, oncologist at Wockhardt Hospital, the setup for robotic surgery is very important for all hospitals considering the rising demands for it in various parts including bypass surgery, transplants, cancer and gynae procedures.

source:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health-news/India-emerging-as-top-hub-for-robot-assisted-surgeries-Experts/articleshow/50817853.cms

Sir Terry Wogan, Veteran broadcaster Dies After 'Brave Cancer Battle'

Sir Terry Wogan, renowned for his work on Radio 2's breakfast show and Children In Need, has died of cancer at the age of 77.

A family statement, issued by the BBC, said: "Sir Terry Wogan died today after a short but brave battle with cancer. He passed away surrounded by his family.

"While we understand he will be missed by many, the family ask that their privacy is respected at this time."