Discourse on cancer in women

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, Oct 31: A CME programme on women’s cancers and its changing paradigms was held recently on October 27, 2016 at Dr. B Borooah Cancer Institute (BBCI), Guwahati. Cancers of the breast, uterine cervix, uterine endometrium and ovarian cancers are collectively regarded as women’s cancers.

Dr. D K Vijaykumar, professor and head of Gynecology Oncology, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences (AIMS), Kochi delivered the guest lecture. Dr.Vijaykumar spoke on the recent developments in the magement of this group of cancers.

According to the recent report of tiol Cancer Registry Programme (NCRP), Delhi Population-based Cancer Registry (PBCR) recorded the highest age adjusted incidence of breast cancer, Aizawl recorded the highest incidence of uterine cervical cancers, the incidence of ovarian cancer was highest in Papumpare district in Aruchal Pradesh, and Cheni recorded the highest incidence for cancer of the uterine endometrium. In the State, Kamrup-urban PBCR recorded the highest incidence for cancers of the breast, uterine cervix, and ovary. The incidence of uterine endometrium was highest in the Cachar district. As per the report, the incidence of women’s cancers in Assam ranges from 25 to 50 new cases per lakh women population in a given year. The relative proportion of women cancers in hospitals like, Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi, and Adyar Cancer Hospital in Cheni, among women, breast cancer was the leading cancer followed by uterine cervical cancer and ovarian cancer, stated in the NCRP report. In BBCI, breast, uterine cervical and ovarian cancers were the three common women’s cancers with a relative proportion of 16.1 per cent, 13.6 per cent, and 4.9 per cent, respectively of all cancers.

A study published in Jourl of Global Oncology which BBCI also participated showed that State-II & III breast cancers had better survival in breast conservation surgery than modified radical mastectomy. About 9,900 patients across 13 centres in the country participated in this study.  The role of sentinel biopsy in breast and endometrial cancer was also discussed during the scientific session.  With better sanitation and hygiene, improved living condition, incidence of cervical cancer in the country is gradually declining without any screening intervention.

It may be mentioned here that, Dr. Manjit Sarma, Assistant Professor of Nuclear Medicine, AIMS at Kochi also recently delivered a guest lecture on the magement of thyroid cancers with radio-isotopes. Thyroid cancer is very common in Kerala and coastal belts of our country. This cancer has very favourable outcome.  BBCI has the state of the art Dual Head Spect Gamma Camera machine and diagnostic & therapeutic procedures are routinely performed in the Nuclear Medicine & Molecular Imaging Department f the Institute.  Moreover, BBCI is going to start high dose radio-isotope therapy, which will be the first of its kind in the entire North East India.