Late cancer diagnosis reduces chances of survival

PATNA: Oncologists on Saturday advised people to look out for signs of cancer and consult a health expert immediately.

Speaking at ‘SOOCON-2018’ organized by the Society of Oncology-Bihar at a city hotel, Dr Thomas Ram from Vellore’s Christian Medical College said, “Persistent cough or chest pain should be examined as it can be an early symptom of lung cancer. Cough may include mucus and often lasts over eight weeks.”

Unhealthy lifestyle is often considered to be one of the causes for the rise in cancer cases. “Too much smoking is directly linked with lung cancer,” Dr Thomas said.

Dr Kaustav Talapatra from Mumbai stressed on the importance of screening and self-examination.

He said, “In India, we only receive 20% cases of stage-I and stage-II cancer. Most patients visit doctors in stages III or IV when the disease has spread from where it started to other parts of the body. This makes treatment less likely to succeed and reduces the chances of survival.”

According to Dr V P Singh, the organizing co-chairman of the conference, breast cancer has replaced cervical cancer as the leading cause of cancer deaths among women in the state. “Breast cancer cases have increased from 15% to 25% in Bihar and are expected to go up further in the coming years,” Singh said.

At least 250 participants were present on Day 1 of the two-day oncology conference that will conclude on Sunday.

Courtesy: TNN