Cancer is a cause which touches everyone’s lives. Head and neck cancer is now India’s most common cancer. With this comes a number of country-specific issues related to the disease, its prevention, treatment and management. Alarmingly, head and neck cancer has 65% mortality rate in India compared to 35% in higher-income countries.
Because of the head and neck’s close proximity to important structures like swallowing muscles, the spinal cord and the visual complex, optimal treatment outcomes require personnel with significant expertise and expensive equipment. These are available in India but only in a small number of centres in urban areas and the cost of treatment in majority of these centres, to be borne by the patient, can be significant.
However, various initiatives are underway in India to tackle the disease’s impact.
Tobacco consumption is a major risk factor for head and neck cancer. In India the majority of users consume tobacco in smokeless form, chewed with areca nut or betel leaves. Patient-led community initiatives such as Voice of Tobacco Victims (www.vovindia.org) are working actively in the area and a ban on tobacco advertising, heavy taxation on cigarettes, a ban on smoking in public places and government offices have all been implemented by the Government.
The National Cancer Grid, a collaboration of 90 centres across India, has been established to facilitate nationwide patient access to affordable treatment delivered to uniform standards. Nevertheless, further investment in resources for disease prevention, early diagnosis and uniform access to optimal treatment is urgently required.
Oracle Cancer Trust is the UK’s leading charity dedicated to research into head and neck cancer.(www.oraclecancertrust.org)
Research is crucial if we are to make discoveries about the biology of head and neck cancers and how to effectively treat the disease. Treatments resulting from Oracle’s work will have a global impact. In recognition of Oracle’s important work in tackling India’s most common cancer, Asian Business Publications is delighted to be supporting the charity at the Asian Achievers Awards 2018.
[email protected] - www.oraclecancertrust.org
020 7922 7924
Compiled by Dr Shree Bhide, Oracle Cancer Trust Funded Researcher at The Institute of Cancer Research London
