World Cancer Day 2022 today: Need to close the care gap: Dr Kailash Sharma, Dean, project TMC says there is gross inequality in available treatment facilities in different regions

Aurangabad, Feb 3: Dean, Projects, Tata Memorial Centre (TMC), Dr Kailash Sharma, has stressed the need for awareness about cancer and closing the care gap to make available quality treatment. In an interview on the eve of Cancer Day, he threw lights on the activities of the TMC and functioning of the State Cancer Hospital in Aurangabad. Excerpts.

Q. Close the Care gap… What does this theme mean?

A. Cancer patients can live a meaningful life if the disease is detected and treated early. Patients often present rather late, mostly due to ignorance or lack of accessible and affordable treatment. There is a gross inequality in available treatment facilities in different regions or among individuals. This gap needs to be closed.

Last year, Maharashtra had almost 1 lakh cancer cases. Tobacco addiction, pollution are important risk factors. Among men, mouth cancer is the commonest- gutkha and tobacco being the major cause. Cancer of breast and ovary is common among women. In rural areas, cancer of cervix (lower part of uterus) is common.

Q. What are the projects of Tata Memorial Center (TMC) to help the cancer afflicted who live across the country?

A. Every year, about 50,000 new and 6-7 lakh follow-up patients come to TMC, Mumbai for treatment. To make it convenient for peripheral patients and prevent delay in treatment, TMC has envisaged the ‘hub and spokes model.’ The hub is a large center with specialists, diagnostic and treatment facilities. The patient is investigated, protocols planned here. The spokes are two hospitals in the nearby towns or cities that can cater to the patients, in which chemotherapy, radiation can be given. These hospitals are attached to the larger one and kind of mentored and guided by it. Such a de-centralization helps in a large, diverse country like ours.

Cancer hospitals have been established by TMC in Varanasi, Vizag, Muzaffarpur (Bihar), Guwahati, Punjab and also proposed in Bhubaneshwar.

Q: What is the role of Day Care Centres?

A. Chemotherapy, one of the mainstays of cancer treatment, usually needs multiple visits to the cancer Centre. Day care centres help to reduce the burden on patients and caregivers if they are closer to home.

Q. What is the status of the State Cancer Hospital of Aurangabad?

A. It is progressing very well with the efforts of Dean Dr Varsha Torte and OSD Dr Arvind Gaikwad and has helped lakhs of patients in the last eight and a half years. 3-T MRI is already in place and I am trying to get a 128 slice CT scan and PET scan soon. Our medical education minister Amit Deshmukh is a great visionary. Secretary Saurabh Vijay, commissioner of medical education Virendra Singh and DMER are very helpful for our cancer projects in the state.

Q. What are your immediate plans?

A. We plan to start 100-bedded cancer hospitals attached to BJ Medical College, Pune and GMC Nagpur under the Medical Education Department. Soon, a 100- bedded hospital will start in the Civil Hospital Campus at Jalna, with hand holding by SCI, Aurangabad.

Awareness about early signs of cancer and that it is curable in most cases if timely treatment is started- needs to increase.