Doctors say they are encouraging blood relatives of cancer patients to also go for preventive screening
Oncologists are encouraging blood relatives of cancer patients to go for regular screening to rule out or ensure early detection of the disease. They say it can be a lifesaver for breast and colorectal cancers which can also be hereditary.
Dr Shirish Alurkar, Director of Clinical Services at Apollo in the city said cancer in India is being detected at an early age. "The best strategy is to ensure early detection and this can be done by screening and prevention. This is also the reason why we are focusing on preventive oncology," said Dr Alurkar.
He said they are now also targeting relatives of cancer patients to encourage them to go for screening and preventive check-ups.
Dr Shakuntala Shah, surgical oncologist said that it is not that every patient who has cancer has a hereditary trait. "There are several factors that need to be considered including genetic factors and on the basis of this, we will know if a particular kind of cancer has shown a hereditary trend in a family. In such cases it is very important that the family members also get tested," said Dr Shah. She added that women particularly need to be vigilant if more than one member of a family has reported breast cancer.
She recalls the incident of a man who came with rectal cancer. "Some months later the patient's son was diagnosed with colon cancer. Had the son gone for screening cancer would have been detected earlier," said Dr Shah.
The doctors who were speaking at a press conference held on the sidelines of the CBCC Cancer Conclave held in the city also warned that the number of cancer cases were not rising but instead it was galloping.
Emphasising on the need for increasing awareness about breast cancer and head and neck cancer, two of the rapidly growing cancer cases in the country, Dr.K.N. Srinivasan, Radiation oncologist said that what awareness can do can be known from the decline in cervical cancer. " The cases of cervical cancer is on the decline. Once it was the highest cause of cancer among women. And this decline has happened because of the awareness that has been spread about it," said Dr Srinivasan.
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