Cancer is not the only issue in the field of health, but the broad social, economic, promotional and human rights as well. Cancer-causing a huge challenge to development and human progress around the world, especially in poor and developing countries. Cancer is the cause and consequence of poverty. In other words, cancer and poverty interact with each other so that cancer negatively affects the ability of families and society. Because of incapacity, according to the cancer patients who are not able to work efficiently and incomes are low in comparison with healthy people and on the other hand, they consume many possibilities for treatment.

Human understanding of cancers and proportional to the level of individuals and society is different. In progressive societies, on one hand, curious man with modern knowledge and the search of websites and scientific books from the latest scientific advances has awareness and on the other hand, sectors involved-do continuous useful in identifying cancer. The view of the cancer is deep & based on scientific facts. But in poor communities and deprived people have not reached its fullest use of technology and related sectors, there is not enough capacity, people’s views are based on anecdotal and unscientific. In short, people in developed countries, cancer is mostly is known as a preventable and treatable disease, while people in poor countries including Afghanistan, named cancer as the second death. Read more

Pema Seldon Tshering, Thimphu
Feb 15, 2018

Cancer patients in the country will no longer have to travel abroad for treatment. That’s because the government will establish a cancer hospital in the country.

The decision to establish a cancer hospital comes in the face of a growing number of people suffering from the disease and the increasing cost that government incurs in treating them in hospitals outside Bhutan.

Some 1,500 patients were referred to India for treatment in the 2016-2017 financial year, which cost the government about Nu 2bn. Of the total referrals, about 35 per cent were cancer patients.

Some 499 cancer patients were referred to India in the financial year 2015-2016. The figure rose to 555 in the financial year 2016 to 2017.

“Especially, cancer patients require the support of the whole family and when they are outside the country, they are not able to get the support of the whole family as there is only one attendant,” Dr. Gosar Pemba, JDWNRH’s Medical Superintendent said.

“So that’s why they face numerable problems. One is the climate, the next is food and the other is living conditions in the treatment centres in India. It will be very good if we have a cancer centre in Bhutan.” Read more

All types of cancers are on the rise in Sri Lanka with around 17,000 new cancer patients detected annually by the local health system, National Cancer Control Programme Director Consultant Community Physician Dr Sudath Samaraweera said.

Addressing a media workshop in Colombo today Dr Samaraweera said the most common cancer among Sri Lankans is oral cancer, while with women it is breast cancer, with around 2,500 new breast cancer patients detected annually. Consultant Community Physician Dr Nayana De Alwis said that daily around seven new breast cancer patients are being detected in Sri Lanka with most of them in the stages three or four, which cannot be reversed. Read more

Published: February 02, 2016 10:48 am

KATHMANDU: With the changing lifestyle and exposure to risk factors like smoking, there has been a significant rise in the number of cancer patients in Nepal as per Dr Prakash Raj Neupane, Medical Director at Bhaktapur Cancer Hospital and Chairman at BP Koirala Memorial Cancer Hospital, Chitwan.

In Nepal, some 30,000 new cases of cancer are diagnosed every year in the country, reveals Dr Neupane. “Among them, only 10,000 cancer patients reach the hospital for treatment,” says the doctor adding, “To aware remaining 20,000 patients to go to the hospital for treatment, the World Cancer Day is celebrated in Nepal too”.

“If detected early, the treatment of cancer is possible,” he further emphasises.

As per the data provided by Dr Neupane, four common cases of cancers seen in Nepal are — cancers of lungs, breast, cervix and abdomen.

“Among the total population, 45 per cent males and 55 per cent females are suffering from different types of cancers here — due to ignorance, lack of personal hygiene, birth trauma and lack of regular health check up, especially in women,” reveals the doctor. Read more

Stanley M Marks is the chairman of UPMC Cancer Center, Director of Clinical Services and Chief Medical Officer for UPMC Cancer Center and the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, USA. He is also a significant contributor and member of the tumor board, American Oncology Institute (AOI). Recently, he was in the city to participate in International Cancer Conclave-2018. He spoke to The Hans India and shared his views on the cancer scenario in India. Excerpts:

What is the cancer scenario in India?
Globally, 14 million new cancer cases are detected every year leading to 8 million deaths every year. Nearly 1.1 million of these new cancer cases were reported in India in the year 2015 with a total incidence of cancer reported to be around 3.9 million. Recorded incidence of cancer per 100,000 of the population in India is approximately 100 and is roughly about half of the world average (182 per 100,000) and about one-third of that of developed countries (268 per 100,000).
In India, many cancers in the past that were simply not diagnosed or reported are now being reported due to a significant increase in public awareness, cancer diagnostics and treatment facilities over the last decade. However, still, a lot of cancer cases in India are underdiagnosed and under-reported especially in rural areas which forms the bulk of the population. Cancer-related mortality in India is double that of developed countries, mainly due to patients being diagnosed at a late stage and due to lack of adequate preventive screening programmes.
What are the root causes of cancer and how can the same be prevented?  Read more