Young medical students must have an initial exposure to concepts of prevention of cancer and high risk cases and the curriculum must be adapted to this, V. Shanta, chairperson, Cancer Institute, Adyar, has said.
Speaking after releasing Natarajan's Textbook of Orthopaedics and Traumatology co-authored by Tamil Nadu Dr. MGR Medical Varsity Vice-Chancellor, Mayil Vahanan Natarajan, Dr. Shanta said the curriculum must be adapted to this need.
Cancer incidence is rising and it is emerging as one of the major components of non communicable diseases, she added. Advances in medical technology and science have revolutionised the treatment of cancer over the years, and organ conservation is now possible in many sites – including the breast, rectum, bladder, and larynx.
Dr. Mayil Vahanan's outstanding contribution has been towards the area of limb salvaging and conservation in osteo sarcomas. He had performed the country's first limb salvage surgery on an osteo sarcoma at the Cancer Institute on a Vijayadasami Day in 1988, she recalled.
Organ conservation has a significant effect on the survival and quality of life of the patient with cancer, Dr. Shanta said. Limb salvage has been achieved only through a measure of multi-disciplinary approach and involvement in care. Amputations can be avoided if the cancer is caught early, she said, reemphasising the need to pick up cancers early.
Dr. Mayil Vahanan said the book was originally authored by his father and senior orthopaedic surgeon M. Natarajan in 1981, keeping in mind the needs of undergraduate students. Later on, he joined as the co-author for subsequent editions till the last, 6{+t}{+h} edition in 2005. The latest venture, an updated version of the textbook, he added, had been launched with Wolters Kluwer Health Publishing company.
It now features a revised set of latest clinical photographs, x-rays, CT scans and MRI images to illustrate key aspects of various disorders. Simple flowcharts and tables have been used to explain difficult topics and recent advances in Orthopaedic surgery. This makes the book a ready-reckoner for post graduates, as well as being the ideal text book for undergraduate medical and physiotherapy students.
The first copy of the book was handed over to V. Kanagasabai, dean, Madras Medical College, who lauded both Dr. Mayil Vahanan and his father for their seminal contributions to the field of orthopaedics and medical administration.
K. Annamalai, former head, department of orthopaedics, MMC, said the text book was a great combination of the experience of senior practitioners and the latest techniques available in the field. R. Varadachari, senior US-based orthopaedic Surgeon, spoke.
