Head and Neck Cancer in India – An Urgent Cause

Thursday 16th August 2018 05:55 EDT
 
 

Head and neck cancers constitute those arising from the mouth, throat, voice box, nose, sinuses and the salivary glands. These cancers account for approximately 1/3 of the cancer burden in India – more than any other type of cancer.
What makes head and neck cancers unique is that they fundamentally affect who we are as humans as they directly impact our ability to communicate. Head and neck cancers also affect the senses more than any other cancers and can affect a patient’s ability to eat, taste or swallow normally.

Among all of the head and neck cancers in the world, 57.5% are seen in Asia, especially in India. India accounts for 30% of all global head and neck cancers with more than 550,000 head and neck cancers diagnosed worldwide every year. To put this figure into context, the UK sees between 8,000-9,000 cases. This makes research into better and kinder treatments for head and neck cancer a particularly urgent cause in Asia.

The management of head and neck cancer within India has dramatically changed over the last decade. Improvements in tobacco control have brought a slow decline in disease incidence; greater expertise in surgery and radiation oncology has meant improved outcomes; cutting-edge research led by some of the leading centres has given us new insights into management tailored to the Indian scenario. However, much more work needs to be done in the arenas of prevention and health education as 60-80% of patients with head and neck cancers present with advanced stage disease which is much more difficult to treat.

We hope that you will choose to support Oracle Cancer Trust’s work in tackling India’s most common cancer. (www.oraclecancertrust.org) [email protected] - www.oraclecancertrust.org - Tel: 020 7922 7924

Compiled by Professor Vinidh Paleri, Funded Oracle Cancer Trust Researcher and Surgeon at The Royal Marsden Hospital London


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