October marks Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Telangana state capital Hyderabad commemorated the observance by illuminating monuments and other sites in pink – reflecting the colour of the ribbon which serves as the symbol for the event. “Breast Cancer Awareness Month…helps to increase attention and support for the awareness, early detection and treatment as well […]
Cancer
HWCs: Almost 21,000 built under Ayushman Bharat
![A primary health centre in Thuravoor, Kerala. Strengthening India's primary healthcare infrastructure through HWCS is a core of Ayushman Bharat. (Image credit: Ranjithsiji [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], from Wikimedia Commons)](https://i1.wp.com/www.healthissuesindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/800px-Thuravoor_Primary_Health_Center_Main_Building.jpg?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1 "Healthcare equipment: The greatest disparity?")
More than 20,000 health and wellness centres (HWCs) are operational across India. HWCs mark a major commitment by the Centre to strengthening primary healthcare infrastructure in the country, coming as part of its flagship health insurance initiative, the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) or Ayushman Bharat. In the previous year, 20,942 HWCs have become […]
Childhood cancer: Greater risk of later disease?
New research indicates that childhood cancer survivors are significantly more prone to heart conditions in later life. However, Indian childhood cancer survival rates are relatively unknown, fogging the implications this study may have within India. The study, published in the journal Circulation, found that childhood cancer survivors have up to a threefold increase for any […]
Cancer the top cause of death in high income nations
Cancer has overtaken heart disease to become the leading cause of death among high-income countries (HIC) according to a study published in The Lancet. In parallel to this claim, it was also found that individuals in low to middle income countries (LMIC) suffer more predominantly from cardiac conditions. Such data rings true for India, whose […]
ENDS ban criticised by cancer experts
Oncology experts have spoken out against the Centre’s proposed ban on e-cigarettes and other electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), criticising the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) white paper advocating for it. The ICMR has advocated for prohibiting production, sale, and imports of the devices on the grounds that they pose a danger to public […]
Indian research into the spread of breast cancer
A collaborative research project is underway between the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Guwahati and Indian Institute of Science (IIS), Bangalore into the means by which breast cancer spreads throughout the bloodstream. Research indicates that, by 2020, India could expect to see around 76,000 deaths due to breast cancer per year. These deaths could […]
Cancer treatment boon under Ayushman Bharat
PMJAY beneficiaries will be able to avail a more comprehensive package of cancer treatment under Ayushman Bharat. “Treatment for cancer is very expensive. We want to include treatment for all [types] of cancer in our health packages which are cost-effective, proven and beneficial to the patients,” said Dr Indu Bhushan, CEO of the National Health […]
Company makes questionable claim of cancer cure?
Olives are known to be a healthy food. The high concentration of unsaturated fat has been shown in the past to improve cardiac health by moderating cholesterol levels. However, their ability to cure cancer is a far-flung claim that warrants tremendous scrutiny — scrutiny that seems all but absent in media reporting. Rajasthan Olive […]
Cancer rates predicted to rise in EAG states
Cancer rates are predicted to surge in states least economically able to handle the increase, according to a study published in the Journal of Global Oncology. The shift in cancer dynamics is predicted to occur in the Empowered Action Group (EAG) states, including Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh. The […]
The burden of childhood cancer
Childhood cancer leads to 11.5 million years of healthy life being lost every year, new research published in The Lancet reveals. India ranks among those countries most affected by childhood cancer. The study marks the first time loss of healthy life due to cancer in adolescents and children has been conveyed through disability-adjusted life years […]