While the number of cervical cancer cases was falling, patients with breast cancer were on the rise, said doctors here on Saturday.
The 30{+t}{+h}annual conference of the Association of Radiation Oncologists of India (Tamil Nadu and Puducherry Chapter) is under way at Meenakshi Mission Hospital and Research Centre here. Inspector General of Police (south zone) Abhay Kumar Singh inaugurated the two-day meet.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the conference, doctors Kirushna Kumar, G. Selvaluxmy and B. Selvamani said that among all the States, Tamil Nadu had the best screening programmes.
Awareness of cancer among the public had grown. Till a decade back, cancer patients came to hospitals at the last stage when death stared in the face.
However, pro-active participation of the government in screening patients on a mass scale had produced desired results. The family members should support the patients and not leave them in isolation.
In another decade, cancer cases may touch alarming levels. Hence, the social stigma should go. “We see patients suffering from cancer at a very young age, say 25 to 30 years… there is an urgent need to arrest the rise. Doctors and hospitals alone cannot achieve it, but it needs cooperation from patients, their families and other stakeholders,” they said.
The role of media was important as it reported positive and success stories of cancer patients, Dr. Kirushna Kumar said and added that the government should provide radio therapy units in all the district headquarters hospitals so that patients need not travel long distances.
