The Hindu 08.11.2009
Corporation urged to screen women for cancer
Special Correspondent
| This will help in detection, even prevention: V. Shanta |
— Photo: R. Ragu 
ONUS ON PREVENTION: V. Shanta, Chairman, Cancer Institute, with S. Vincent, member- secretary, TNSCST, at a workshop in Chennai on Saturday.
CHENNAI: If the Chennai Corporation is able to provide every woman in the city at least one gynaecological screening, it will be adequate to detect and even prevent the top two cancers among women, V. Shanta, chairman, Cancer Institute (WIA), has said.
She said every woman coming to the Corporation’s health centres must also be subjected to an examination of the gynaec tract. This would be useful to identify a number of cases of cervical cancer in pre-cancerous stages.
In 1962, when over 9000 women were screened for cancer in four districts in a project she had participated in, 20 were found to have cancer, 18 of them in very early stage. On the other hand, she said, if one looked at hospital records, 75 per cent of the patients came with advanced disease.
“We have to get the message out that cancer need not be fatal,” Dr. Shanta said. “Today we are curing one out of three patients and we have the potential of curing two out of three patients, when they come early enough,” she said, speaking at the National Cancer Awareness Day event at Cancer Institute for Corporation doctors.
Cervical cancer and breast cancer are more common in women, both of which are detectable at the pre-cancerous stage, and thereby preventable, she said. Cervical cancer was more common among women in lower socio-economic groups and triggered by chronic genital infections, inadequate postpartum care and lack of education about sexual hygiene.
With men one of the prominent causes of cancer is tobacco use, Dr. Shanta said.
Tobacco usage caused 40 per cent of the cancers in men with cancer of the mouth, food and wind pipe and the lungs topping the list.
Getting rid of tobacco with seriously implemented anti-smoking legislations would cut down the numbers dramatically.
S. Vincent, member-secretary, Tamil Nadu State Council for Science and Technology, suggested that the Institute consider setting up clubs in schools and colleges akin to the Red Ribbon Clubs, which disseminate information about HIV/AIDS.
He complimented Cancer Institute for its efforts in pushing the ban on smoking in public places and its implementation. Dr. Vincent also urged the staff at the Institute to submit project proposals to the Council for funding.
Charumathi, District Family Welfare Officer, Chennai Corporation, said that the civic body was paying a lot of attention to prevention and detection of cancer among women.
E. Vidhubala, Tobacco Cessation Cell, Cancer Institute, spoke about reducing the health burden through tobacco cessation interventions.
