‘65% of kids with cancer get back to normal life’

Treatment must be made affordable, says V. Shanta

Film director Mani Ratnam, right, with V. Shanta, chairperson of Cancer Institute, and music director A.R. Rahman in Chennai on Wednesday.

Unlike in the past, 65% of children suffering from different types of cancer get back to normal life after treatment, said V. Shanta, chairperson, Cancer Institute.

“We are happy to see success stories in paediatric oncology. We have witnessed a changing horizon in the last six decades. Every child should be able to get treatment on time,” she told reporters. She was participating in an event to mark the formal handing over of the Mahesh Memorial Paediatric Oncology Extension Wing at Cancer Institute on Wednesday.

Personalised care

“We need to make treatment accessible and affordable. The cost of treatment is very high. We have targeted drug delivery. In this, there is personalised medication and everything is done to suit a particular child, depending on the gene. It is the responsibility of the government and community to ensure that children get the treatment,” she said.

There is a need for much more insurance coverage for all types of cancer, especially paediatric cancer. She noted that the long-term survival rate was 65%. “In developed countries, this is 80%. We are unable to reach this percentage as children come with poor nutritional status and follow-up is not good,” she noted.

Prabha Sridevan, former judge, Madras High Court, and A. R. Rahman, music composer, inaugurated the extension wing. In 2009, the Mahesh Memorial Trust built and handed over a facility of 22,000 square feet area with 55 beds.

Film director Mani Ratnam, one of the trustees, formally handed over the extension wing to Dr. Shanta. The donors, who funded the construction of the extension wing, were honoured. It has come up at a cost of about ₹4 crore. Among others, Chitra Mahesh, managing trustee, Mahesh Memorial Trust, and Rahul Ramachandran, former chairman, Madras Round Table No 1, were present.