About 21,000 new cases are registered every year at the State-run Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology, out of which over 50% are diagnosed as cancer cases. Overall, the premier cancer care centre in the State sees a footfall of around 3.6 lakh patients per annum. This includes new and follow up cases.
The institute is organising a cancer awareness and detection camp in a tribal area of Bandipur on Tuesday to mark national cancer awareness day observed on November 7.
Kidwai director V. Lokesh said early intervention is most important in cancer care as the chance of survival is higher if diagnosed early. “Unfortunately, most come to treatment institutes in an advanced stage, hence creating awareness among the public plays an important role in cancer prevention,” he said.
Of around 14 lakh new cancer cases that are reported annually in the country, an estimated 87,500 new cases are from Karnataka. Among males, lung cancer continues to be the most predominant site of cancer constituting 9.6% of the total male cancers followed by cancers of the stomach and prostate (6.8%), esophagus (5.5%) and mouth (5.1%).
Vijay C.R., Associate Professor in the department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Kidwai said among females, cancer of the breast is the most common cancer constituting 30% of the total female cancers followed by cancer of the cervix (11%), ovary (7.2%), mouth (4.3%) and corpus uteri (4.2%).
Risk factors
Pointing out that tobacco usage contributes to the occurrence of more than one-third of cancers, Dr. Lokesh said in males it is found to have the highest age-adjusted rate per lakh population compared to the female population (that is 46 and 24). Other probable risk factors include diet, pollution, excessive alcohol consumption, lack of physical activity, occupational hazards and infections, he said.
“Most of the cancer patients seen at Kidwai are from the lower socio-economic strata with rural backgrounds, illiteracy and who have limited access to health facilities,” he said.
