You are currently browsing the tag archive for the ‘Cancer’ tag.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs today approved the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke (NPCDCS) for implementation of its various components during the remaining period of 11th Five year plan (i.e. 2010-11 & 2011-12) at an estimated outlay of Rs. 1230.90 crore (Rs.499.38 crore for interventions on diabetes and cardiovascular diseases & stroke and Rs.731.52 crore for cancer control) on a cost sharing basis between the Centre and the States at the rate of 80:20.
It also approved the inter-usability of funds from one component to another within the same group of diseases, limited to a ceiling of 10%, in order to impart operational flexibility in implementation of these programs. Transfer of funds from one component to the other beyond this limit would be decided by the Empowered Programme Committee (EPC) and Mission Steering Group (MSG). Approval has also been accorded for empowering the MSG and EPC setup under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) to approve financial norms in respect of all components of the Programme.
The programme will be implemented in 20,000 Sub-Centres and 700 Community Health Centres (CHCs) in 100 Districts across 15 States/UTs by promoting healthy lifestyle through massive health education and mass media efforts at country level, opportunistic screening of persons above the age of 30 years, establishment of Non Communicable Disease (NCD) clinics at CHC and district level, development of trained manpower and strengthening of tertiary level health facilities.
It is expected to screen over seven crore adult population (30 years & above) for diabetes and hypertension, early diagnosis of NCDs and treatment at early stages. To fill the gap in the health delivery system, about 32,000 health personnel would be trained at various levels to provide opportunistic and targeted screening, diagnosis and management of NCDs. With the successful implementation of the programme, it is expected to achieve behaviour change in the community to adopt healthy life styles including dietary patterns, enhanced physical activity and reduced intake of tobacco and alcohol resulting in overall reduction in the risk factors of common NCDs in the community.
Background:
The country is experiencing a rapid health transition with a rising burden of Non-Communicable Diseases(NCDs) which are emerging as the leading cause of death in India accounting for over 42% of all deaths with considerable loss in potentially productive years (aged 35-64 years) of life. According to a WHO report (2002), cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) will be the largest cause of death and disability in India by 2020. It is estimated that the overall prevalence of diabetes, hypertension, Ischemic Heart Diseases (IHD) and Stroke is 62.47, 159.46, 37.00 and 1.54 respectively per 1000 population of India. There are an estimated 25 Lakh cancer cases in India. The cost implications of NCDs to society are enormous and run into thousands of crore of rupees that include direct costs to people with illness, their families and indirect costs to society, due to reduced productivity.
Major risk factors for these NCDs are raised blood pressure, cholesterol, tobacco use, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, alcohol consumption, and obesity which are modifiable. Hence a majority of cancers and CVDs can be prevented and treated if diagnosed at an early stage. Health promotion and prevention of chronic NCDs are yet to be adequately addressed in the country’s health system. Presently, Clinical services, too, are not adequately equipped to provide the required level of care for these diseases in primary and secondary health-care settings. Therefore, the appropriate strategies have been devised to be implemented under NPCDCS to ensure that the NCDs can be prevented and managed in an effective manner.
Source : Press Information Bureau
Fortis Hospital Noida, inaugurated the Fortis International Oncology Centre in collaboration with International Oncology Services Pvt Ltd. (IOSPL), in its ongoing endeavour to provide the best in medical treatment and advanced patient care.
Equipped to provide the finest treatment in Medical Oncology, Radiation Therapy and Surgical Oncology, the centre also has Bone Marrow and Stem Cell Transplant facility of international standards. The program is supported by advanced and sophisticated oncology lab by SRL. The state-of-the-art infrastructure includes an Open PET CT Scan for diagnostic purposes, the latest Radiation equipment from Varian Medical Systems (RapidArc using Trilogy HD and 3D-Brachytherapy), and a Medical Oncology Daycare and Anti-Neoplastic drug delivery setup.
The Fortis International Oncology Centre was inaugurated by Mr. Montek Singh hjAhluwalia, Deputy Chairman – of the Planning Commission. He said, “I commend Fortis for setting up this comprehensive Oncology centre. Such facilities are badly needed and the Fortis International Oncology Centre will play an important role in making critical cancer treatment more accessible.”
This cancer centre also offers Planning Review of cases. In a unique one-of-a-kind collaboration between IOSPL and Albert Einstein Medical Center, doctors will review and discuss the radiation therapy treatment planning of patients via video conferencing to ensure the best treatment plan with senior cancer specialists in the US. The team of eminent Oncologists includes Dr Ashvini Sengar, Dr Sapna Nangia, Dr Amit Agrawal, Dr Rakesh Ojha, Dr Mitu Shrikhande, Dr Amit Verma, Dr Rajeev Kumar, Dr Jalaj Baxi, Dr Mukta Baxi, Dr Atul Srivastava and Dr Leena Dadhwal.
Pradeep K Jaisingh, CEO, IOSPL, said, “We are happy to be associated with a quality healthcare provider like Fortis Healthcare. This offers an excellent platform to mark our entry into the Indian subcontinent and we look forward to building an outstanding cancer programme in India. I am sure that jointly we will build a world class cancer care programme in India.”
Fortis Healthcare Limited is committed to clinical excellence and patient-centric healthcare, which is manifest in hospital design, patient services, medical programmes and the compassionate approach of medical and non-medical hospital staff. Currently, the Fortis network has an over 12000 bed capacity across 68 hospitals in seven countries. Fortis commissioned its first hospital in 2001 at Mohali, near Chandigarh, and has expanded its Indian operations to 46 properties (including 10 projects) in 16 cities across 12 states.
Incidence of cancer is fast approaching epidemic proportions. It is projected that 1 in every 8 to 10 individuals carry the risk of cancer. This can seriously threaten the socio-economic fabric in India and managing this disease burden is bound to challenge the nation in a big way. However the good news is that cancer is preventable and if it does occur, it is completely curable.
Technological innovation, newer pharmaceutical agents and a greater understanding of the disease process have created multiple options to manage cancer.
Apollo Hospitals has always strived to identify gaps in the Indian healthcare system and bridge them with appropriate solutions. Apollo Cancer Hospitals is a step in bridging the national ‘cancer gap’.
With hospitals in Chennai, Hyderabad, New Delhi, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Madurai and Bilaspur, Apollo Hospitals offers state-of-the-art technology and world-class services across the country. Cyberknife, Novalis TX, Linear Accelerators, HDR Brachytherapy, Bone Marrow Transplant Units, Leukemia Units, Pediatric Oncology and a range of other facilities ensure delivery of the highest standards of care across the network with results that benchmark with the best in the world. Apollo Hospitals has been at the forefront of bringing new technology in to India. Cyberknife in Chennai and Novalis TX in Hyderabad and Kolkata are two recent examples.
Apollo Cancer Hospitals, Hyderabad offers a comprehensive range of services spanning across the entire spectrum of cancer care. It is the first cancer hospital offering super-specialty cancer care with a number of unique features :
Empowering the community: Knowledge is power and Apollo Cancer Hospitals offers an extensive bank of information in the unique Cancer Resource Centre.
Screening: Apollo Cancer Check is the most comprehensive screening check for identifying cancer at it’s earliest stage. Cancer is curable when detected early and Apollo Cancer Hospitals will focus on screening large sections of our population for early detection of cancer.
Diagnosis: Apollo Cancer Hospitals has the best range of cancer diagnostics including a PET-CT Scan with onsite cyclotron.
Treatment: The latest options in radiotherapy, chemotherapy and onco-surgery are available under roof. Novalis TX the most versatile technology to treat cancer is an integral part of Apollo Cancer Hospitals.
Tumor Board: To ensure optimal treatment protocols for every patient, a board consisting of radiation, medical and surgical oncologists supported by onco-radiologists and onco-pathologists analyzes the patients details before finalizing the treatment.
Rehab: Cancer rehab is a critical component of managing cancer as it helps in coping with the diseases and getting back to normal much earlier.
Multi-specialty support: The support of over 50 specialties and super-specialties is of critical importance as cancer often demands multi-specialty care.
Apollo Cancer Hospitals set up at a cost of Rs.100 crores offers the best environment for a cancer victim and their families to manage not just the disease but the psycho-social component of the disease also. Clinical protocols and pathways based on globally accepted evidence based principles will ensure higher cure rates and will facilitate the cancer victim to return to normal faster.
Novalis Tx™ is one of the most precise, non-invasive radiosurgery treatments available for cancerous and non-cancerous conditions of the entire body. Novalis Tx represents a new standard in radiosurgery treatment, featuring advanced technologies that deliver highly precise treatment while protecting surrounding healthy tissue. Novalis Tx offers one of the fastest treatment times available-minutes, not hours-giving new hope to patients with tumors once considered untreatable.
The new Apollo Cancer Hospitals and the Novalis TX will be inaugurated by H.E. Sri. Narasimham, Governor of Andhra Pradesh on 20 March, 2010.
Faced with cancer or the side effects of its treatments, RFQMR is new hope for gentle cancer treatment — without trauma.
Oncology today offers a great deal of hope, but only after guiding the patient through a grim battlefield of mutilation (surgery), burning (radiation), and/or poisoning (“normal” or high dose chemotherapy). Grim side effects are accepted as common, likely and inevitable: surgical scars and adhesions, hair loss, weight loss, nausea, sterility, immune system depression, and secondary infections.
Survival for five years is considered a “cure”, no matter how much damage has been done to the patient’s general health by the treatment. And the sad reality is that a large fraction of patients who die of cancer “complications” actually die from the side effects of treatment.
RFQMR (Rotational Field Quantum Magnetic Resonance) could provide new hope. If cancer is detected early, the RFQMR protocol may offer a good chance for remission without major negative side effects.
In cancer there is uncontrolled cell growth leading to increasing tumor mass that may spread to nearby region and also to distant parts of the body. All available treatments cause much discomfort due to side effects but no consistent results.
Cytotron is the treatment cancer sufferers have been waiting for to relieve them of their sufferings without the side effects of conventional treatments. This new revolutionary device developed after years of research by Dr.R.V.Kumar of Ludhiana, a small town in Northern Indian state of Punjab. The device arrests cancer cell growth by degenerative tissue engineering without surgery or drugs.
Cytotron therapy with RFQMR technology is a non-invasive, safe and effective option to treat tumours by arresting cancer cell division leading to degeneration of the tumor.
Cytotron therapy is patented treatment for tissue regeneration and degeneration. For cancer it utilizes a totally different approach compared to conventional cancer treatment. Instead of the very high frequency ionising radiation used in radiotherapy, RFQMR uses radio or sub-radio frequency, low power, non-ionising, non thermal electromagnetic waves.
The main concern of the therapy is not the immediate destruction of the cancer cells, but rather with the help of the small amount of energy provided to the cell to stop the DNA’s uncontrolled mitosis, put the cell in a vegetative state and in time through apoptosis mechanism let the body get rid of the cancerous cells in a controlled fashion as all cells are programmed by nature for self destruction over time.
RFQMR can be an option for tumor treatment for patients who are unwilling or unable to have surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy or where these treatments have failed. RFQMR beams are precisely controlled and focused onto tissues to alter the proton spin inside and outside the cells therein generating streaming voltage potentials. This alters cell membrane potential to control cell mitosis.
Cytotron treatment is easy for the patient. Patient lies on the Cytotron bed that moves into the focus area and the treating rays are focused onto the affected point with the aid of laser guides and the patient’s MRI.
The computer calculates the dose based on the MRI report, gender, height and weight etc. Usually the treatment is given for 60 minutes daily for a period of 28 days. Most tumors should require a single treatment cycle but more may be required depending on the extent and aggressiveness of the tumor.
The treatment is non-invasive and patient feels no pain or discomfort due to the treatment. Patients can even listen to music or read during the treatment. For patients diagnosed with a tumor with or without previous surgery, chemo, or radiation, the RFQMR alters the Cell Membrane Potential to selectively arrest the cancer cell division and growth of tumor.
Each cell has a limited life span and is programmed by nature to die after completing that life span – hence the tumor cells whose growth has been arrested with RFQMR will die in due course of time. Death of cancer cells whose growth has been arrested by RFQMR leads to cancer free body. The same principle applies for patients with a recurrence/metastasis earlier untreated or previously treated by surgery, chemo, or radiation.
Even in advanced and terminally ill patients, the response leads to improvement in quality of life. For patients with a brain tumor (primary, recurrence, or metastasis) the response is often dramatic as the tumor shrinks leading to pressure relief. This is especially important as RFQMR is unaffected by the blood brain barrier and many available chemo drugs to treat brain tumors are not as effective as they cannot cross this blood brain barrier. Though for clinical trials terminal cases of malignancy were taken up it is expected that result in new ones will be still more promising.
RFQMR can supplement the effect of Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy without any added side effects and similarly Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy can supplement the effect of RFQMR.
Cytotron has been tested, is safe, non-ionizing, and non-thermal and complies with the International Commission of Non-Ionizing Radiation. Cytotron safety standards. RFQMR does not utilize the ionizing, thermal, destructive radiation of the upper side of the electromagnetic spectrum used in radiotherapy including X-rays or gamma knife. Over the last 5 years no significant side effect has been noticed in the 500+ patients treated.
The procedure is purely external with RFQMR rays requiring no Anesthesia, Blood transfusion, Hospital stay and is possible even in most patients who are unfit for anaesthesia, surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Cytotron therapy can be used to decrease the chance of metastasis.
A State of the art Dual Energy High End Digital Linear Accelerator with IMRT and IGRT was recently inaugurated by the Governor of Tamil Nadu, Shri. Surjit Singh Barnala at the Dr. Kamakshi Cancer and Research Institute at Pallikaranai, Chennai, capital of Southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The equipment along with the cyclotron has cost Rs.20 crores.
This sophisticated equipment will provide for diagnosis and treatment of cancer patients at par with the best facilities available in the developed world.
His Excellency Shri. Barnala complimented and congratulated the management and the Chairman Dr. T. G. Govindarajan for bringing in the latest equipment to treat cancer patients in Chennai. He also appreciated the vision and mission of the hospital to provide quality services at affordable cost to the citizens of Chennai. He was also very happy that the hospital in a short span of five years has grown rapidly and made a mark for itself in the medical map of India.
Dr. T. G. Govindarajan, Chairman, said that Dr. Kamakshi Memorial Hospital was established by him in memory of his wife Dr. Kamakshi Sundari who passed away a few years back after a short battle with cancer.
After effectively treating around 3500 cancer cases by linear accelerator based radiation treatment and by High Dose Rate Brach therapy, the Hospital enters a new era of cancer management by adopting the IGRT / IMRT- (IMAGE GUIDED RADIOTHERPY / INTENSITY MODULATED RADIOTHERAPY) a sophisticated Radiotherapy machine with latest technical facilities.
The methodology involved is extremely precise, highly conformal and with pin point accuracy the cancer is targeted, and the desired response is achieved without any morbidity. Treatment with the conventional Linear Accelerator machines will not account to the physiological movement of the organs during therapy, which can result in either unnecessary irradiation to the surrounding normal tissues or under dosing to the tumour area. This problem has been overcome by the IGRT machine which gates the real time physiological movements occurring during the therapy and delivers precise Radiotherapy at the calculated dose without causing under dosing or toxicity to normal tissues.
It is also a very suitable technique when treating patients after any surgical removal of cancer any where in the body without any adverse complications. As conceived by many eminent oncologist all over the world this technique IG/IMRT is the best and the latest form of treatment for Radical management of cancer.
The instillation of IGRT at Dr.Kamakshi Memorial Hospital, Pallikaranai, Chennai will be a boon to treat various cancers involving the brain, head and neck, lungs and pelvic region. The oncologists in Tamilnadu will be at an advantageous position, in treating cancer for better local control and reduce treatment related problems.
Media4achange's Blog 
Recent Comments