'A national tumor registry is the need of the hour'

With disease burden on the rise, cancer has become a major healthcare challenge in India. Dr BS Ajaikumar, Founder and Executive Chairman, HealthCare Global Enterprises (HCG), offers experiential insights on tackling the challenge

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How serious a problem is cancer in India?

As per the National Cancer Registry Program (NCRP), the cancer burden in India for 2021 was 2.67 crore and was expected to rise to 2.98 crore by 2025. Rapid urbanization has led to unhealthy eating habits, sedentary lifestyle, stress, pollution to name a few.

What challenges does India face when it comes to fighting the war on cancer?

The access to cancer screening and early detection facilities such as mammography, Pap smear, oral cancer detection are lacking, especially in the rural areas. Most of the top cancer centers are located in cities. Villagers find it difficult to get access to timely care. The treatment cost is enormous as it requires a multidisciplinary approach where multiple modalities of investigations and treatments such as surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, immunotherapy, etc.

There are very few government centers where investigations and treatments are available at subsidized rates. The resources at these centers are inadequate given India's huge population. It's difficult to access new drugs due regulatory requirements. Although new drugs get approved by some global agencies, it takes long to get them approved in India and the imported drugs are exorbitantly priced.

What are the breakthroughs in cancer care?

Many new cancer drugs, diagnostic methodologies, and technology advancements in terms of sophisticated machines with robotics for cancer surgeries and delivery of radiation are being developed today. The new drugs for immunotherapy evoke body's immune cells to detect and fight cancer. The drugs for targeted therapies target specific genes and proteins which help cancer cells survive and grow. These treatments have shown good results and are also less toxic.

What are the treatment options today?