Mysuru: One of the biggest health problems in India is tobacco-related head and neck cancers, as tobacco is used in many forms in the country, said Dr Devi Shetty, founder, chairman of Narayana Health.Head and neck cancers are not common in other countries, he claimed. Speaking on the sidelines of the launch of advanced radiation therapy at Narayana Hospital, Mysuru, Dr Devi Shetty said people can get cancer at any age. Even children can develop cancer, and the risk generally increases as people grow older.
A major concern is that many cancer deaths take place too early in life. About 70% of premature deaths are linked to cancer, he claimed. The tragedy is that many of them can be prevented, or delayed if cancer is detected early.Regular annual screening can help prevent immediate cardiac arrest and detect cancer at an early stage, often before symptoms begin, he said.Ganapathi Sachchidananda Swami of Avadhoota Datta Peetham inaugurated the new treatment facility, which will benefit cancer patients in and around Mysuru.According to a release from the hospital, currently 2.5 lakh people are living with cancer in Karnataka, and every year about 89,000 new cases are diagnosed.
