70 pc cases of cancer can be prevented, says AIIMS chief

At least 70 per cent cases of cancer can be prevented, according to Dr G K Rath, director, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). This means cancer is a better non-communicable disease.

“About 40 per cent cases of cancer are caused by tobacco consumption, 20 per cent infection and 10 per cent are lifestyle-related. If all these factors can be prevented, the number of cases can come down considerably,” he said at the three-day Global Cancer Summit-2015 which began at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) here on Wednesday.

The event is being hosted by pharmaceutical company BioGenesis and supported by the Indian Council of Medical Research.

Of the known types of cancer, six are mostly curable and prostate is completely treatable. “In India, 80 per cent people come late, and 20 per cent out of them can be treated. Just 20 per cent come in the early stage when the chances of cure are 80 per cent,” explained said.

It was also announced during the event that cancer has been declared a notifiable disease in Karnataka. Governor Vajubai Vala recalled that 30 years ago, it was believed that there could be no cure for cancer. Now, the situation is much better.

“Not just those from the poor sections of society are bound to be ill. Even the affluent who eat nutritious food are known to get cancer,” he said.

Dominic McAllister, British Deputy High Commissioner in Bengaluru, said his role in Karnataka went beyond research.

He said that with a high prevalence of breast, colorectal, lung, lymphoma and prostate cancers, India was the third largest country to be affected by the dangerous disease.

“The UK is keen to engage with Indian partners to tackle these challenges. Bengaluru is a hub for research, medical technologies and companies doing early discovery work and is the obvious place to engage. Bengaluru also offers good hospitals with experience in clinical studies and advanced healthcare,” he added.

The Global Cancer Summit is being attended by more than 700 experts and delegates from the field of oncology. The three-day event is based on the theme ‘Frontiers in oncology: Genetics, diagnostics and therapeutics focusing on understanding, comprehending and suggesting strategies to tackle cancer malady’.