[ad_1]
Health experts have warned that the number of people suffering from cancer is expected to increase rapidly over the next two decades.
Prafulla Reddy, a 49-year-old IT professional from the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, has lung cancer and has been undergoing treatment including targeted therapy, chemotherapy and radiation to stop its spread since being diagnosed two years ago.
Vomiting, headache and ulcers are some of the frequent side effects that he has to face and he does not know whether he will recover or not, although the doctors are hopeful of his recovery.
“The doctors are giving medicines to stop the growth and spread of cancer cells. If it doesn’t improve, I may have to undergo a lobectomy to remove the entire lobe of one lung,” Reddy told DW.
In Bengaluru city in the neighboring state of Karnataka, 12-year-old Deepti is undergoing treatment for Wilms tumor, a rare type of cancer that originates in the kidneys and mainly affects children.
“She is currently undergoing radiation therapy, but it has caused side effects like skin damage and hair loss,” her doctor Charu Sharma told DW.
These are not isolated cases and a large number of people, especially children, are being found suffering from cancer in India, which shows the fastest increase in cases worldwide.
Cancer capital of the world?
The South Asian nation was dubbed the “cancer capital of the world” in a report released last month by Apollo Hospitals, an Indian multinational health care group.
The study revealed a worrying picture of declining overall health across India, pointing to rising cases of cancer and other non-communicable diseases.
It found that currently, one in three Indians is pre-diabetic, two in three are pre-hypertensive and one in 10 suffers from depression. It says chronic conditions such as cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and mental health disorders are now so prevalent that they have reached “critical levels”.
The study estimates that the number of annual cancer cases will increase to 1.57 million by 2025, from about 1.4 million in 2020.
Breast, cervical and ovarian cancers are the most common types affecting women, while cancers of the lung, mouth and prostate most commonly affect men.
Former President of Public Health Foundation of India K. “Cancer cases and deaths are increasing and are expected to increase further in the next two decades,” said Srinath Reddy.
“Factors contributing to the increased incidence include increasing age, unhealthy diets with ultra-processed foods that increase inflammation, exposure to air pollution loaded with carcinogens, and climate change with increased exposure to ultraviolet radiation,” he said. Are included.”
Children are increasingly becoming vulnerable to cancer
The Apollo Hospitals report also highlights how some cancers are affecting people at a younger age in India compared to other countries. The average age for lung cancer is 59 years in India, but 68 years in China, 70 years in the United States, and 75 years in the United Kingdom.
Nearly one million new cases of cancer are reported every year in India, of which 4% occur in children. Doctors and other health professionals have condemned the lack of pediatric oncology facilities.
“Most private hospitals have trained pediatric oncologists, but this may not be the case in medical colleges or government hospitals,” said Ruchira Mishra, pediatric oncologist and senior consultant at MRR Children’s Hospital, Mumbai.
“Only 41% of public hospitals have dedicated pediatric oncology departments,” he said.
She further said that lack of funding and access to care, as well as social stigma, were major barriers for many affected families.
“Diagnosis, access to care and medications, and follow-up are difficult and many people drop out of treatment because parents cannot afford treatment,” she said.
need for regular checkups
Experts say the low health screening rate in the country is a significant challenge to the fight against cancer, and stress the importance of preventive health care measures.
Nitish Rohatgi, senior director of medical oncology at Fortis Memorial Research Institute, said, “There is no doubt that cancer is on the rise and everyone needs to take action on priority basis. The government should encourage screening as the first measure. should do.”
“There is also a need for policies to provide financial security and expand screening and therapeutic services for cancer,” he said.
India has a screening program for oral, breast and cervical cancer, but despite the WHO recommendation that at least 70% of women should be tested, the screening rate is less than 1% according to national data.
Asit Arora, director of cancer care, said, “I wouldn’t want to call it an epidemic but we will see cancer cases double by 2040 compared to 2020. Many of these cases are preventable at individual, societal and government levels ” Max Super Specialty Hospital in Delhi, the capital of India.
“If we do nothing, we will pay a heavy price as a society.”
[ad_2]
