India observes World Cancer Day 2021 in far from normal circumstances. The raging COVID-19 pandemic has threatened to obscure the plethora of other diseases India and the world at large grapples with. Awareness events such as World Cancer Day serve to shine a light on the far-reaching impact of cancer in India, which has emerged […]
cancer therapy
Dr V. Shanta, renowned oncologist, dies at 93
Dr V. Shanta, a renowned oncologist and chairperson of the Chennai-based Adyar Cancer Institute, has passed away at the age of 93. The Hindu reported that Shanta was admitted to hospital following complaints of chest pains. “Sources at the Cancer Institute said she had a complex block that could not be rectified,” the report said. […]
Cancer care: Experts urge patients to access treatment
Experts from multiple Asian countries including India have called for those in need to ensure they access cancer care, highlighting the risks of delaying treatment. The experts joined the AstraZeneca campaign “New normal, same cancer”, which aims to mitigate the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global response to cancer. “COVID-19 threatens to erase […]
Cancer deaths at 6,000 in Maharashtra: How this fits in with the national burden
Cancer is among the leading threats to public health the world over – India being no exception. In Maharashtra, the country’s second-most populous state, the disease incurred a significant toll last year in terms of mortality, with the state health minister confirming that Maharashtra recorded almost 6,000 cancer deaths last year. Rajesh Tope, who serves […]
Cancer: One in ten Indians, one in fifteen lives
Cancer will affect one in ten Indians in their lifetime. One in fifteen Indians will lose their lives to the disease. These are the concerning findings of the latest edition of the World Cancer Report, published earlier this week by the World Health Organization (WHO). Among the key takeaways of the report is how unevenly […]
World Cancer Day 2020: India’s growing crisis
Reports surfaced last week from the Pandit Bhagwat Dayal Sharma Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (PGIMS) in Rohtak, Haryana of a rising number of cancer cases being admitted through its doors. Such news encapsulates much about what we know about the cancer burden in India, one which is rising rapidly. World Cancer Day, 2020 […]
Private cancer care boon in Mumbai
The first privately-run hospital dedicated to oncology has been launched in Mumbai, in a boon for private cancer care for the Maharashtra state capital’s denizens. As previously reported by Health Issues India, cancer infrastructure in India is in great need of an upgrade. An estimated 2.25 million people live with the disease in the country, […]
Paediatric oncology: Three centres open
Paediatric oncology has witnessed a boon with the opening of three childhood cancer units by the Tata Memorial Centre. The push will see the number of children able to access free cancer treatment from the Institute increase to 5,000 by the end of 2020, compared to approximately 2,500 at present. The takeover of hospitals by […]
India’s cancer burden continues to grow
India’s cancer burden is continuing to increase according to recent data from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). The news came from minister of state for health Ashwini Choubey, who told the Lok Sabha that the Centre was emphasising its efforts to tackle breast, cervical, and oral cancer which account for 41 percent of […]
Cancer infrastructure needs an upgrade
Cancer is one of the leading threats to public health in India. An estimated 2.25 million people live with the disease in the country, with more than 1.15 million new cases registered and an estimated 784,821 deaths recorded last year. Despite this, the country’s cancer infrastructure is sorely lacking – as phrased by a parliamentary […]