DoNER minister in cancer campaign

Shillong, April 22: DoNER minister Jitendra Singh will launch the NEC-Pink Chain Cancer campaign, 2016, here tomorrow.

The campaign is a joint initiative of the North Eastern Council (NEC) and Pink Chain Campaign.

The campaign will begin with a seven-day conclave, starting tomorrow, where guest speakers, especially those from the medical fraternity, will discuss issues relating to cancer. They will also visit selected schools during the campaign.

Speaking to reporters at the NEC secretariat here, Abhishek Shankar, the founder of the Pink Chain Campaign, said while the incidence of cancer in the country was 92 for every one lakh people, the incidence in Mizoram was 274 per one lakh.

He said cases of stomach cancer were very high in Mizoram, which is comparable to that of Japan - the highest in the world.

He added that in 80 per cent of the cases in the country, cancer was detected at stage III or stage IV where the chance of survival is only 20 per cent.

However, Shankar said in the western world, it was just the opposite, with 80 per cent chances of survival because of early detection.

"Cancer requires early detection and it can be cured. It is also a disease that has to be dealt scientifically," he said.

He said at present, there was no evidence to prove that alternative medicines could cure cancer although yoga could help during the recovery period.

In India, he said breast cancer was the most prominent form of cancer among women, while oral cancer was most prevalent among men.

In the Northeast, he said some studies have linked the consumption of areca nut and smoked meat to the prevalence of cancer among the people.

Shankar advised people to get themselves screened for cancer as early detection of the disease could prevent deaths.

While stressing the need for affordable care for cancer patients, he said the number of oncologists in the country has been increasing during the past four years.