Cancer, Nobody likes the word or the pain it brings along with it. With the rise in the modernization of the Indian culture, our change in food habits, environment, and multiple factors also brings the risk of cancer along with it. The statistics of overall cancer cases do not give much enthusiasm either. A recent report by the WHO says that one in ten Indians will have cancer and one in 15 will die from the disease. But cancer at its early stages is a fairly treatable disease. There is a trend for patients to stop treatment when they see signs of a diminishment of the cancer cells or they may delay consultation or treatment. The new ad campaign by a coalition of leading Asian oncologists in partnership with AstraZeneca is hoping to change this.
The New Normal, Same Cancer campaign hopes to encourage people diagnosed with cancer to resume treatment that may have been paused, and those people with possible cancer signs and symptoms or who have missed routine checkups, to consult a doctor. The group of experts said that timely diagnosis and treatment are very important to determine the success of cancer treatment. They also mentioned that the pandemic has caused disruptions in cancer treatment with some places getting delayed services while others saw patients missing appointments. A survey of 480 oncosurgeons showed that an estimated 192000 patients have delays in diagnosis and free annual pap smear screening appointments fell by 75%.
Fong Pei-Chieh, Medical Director of AstraZeneca in the Asia Area said that people are more cautious about visiting hospitals and clinics at this time, which is understandable but avoidable delays in diagnosis or treatment can result in cancer being harder to treat and worse outcomes for patients. To help protect the people who are seeking treatment, proper COVID-19 protocols are being implemented in hospitals and clinics. The campaign hopes that the coalition of experts from different parts of Asia and their opinions on the matter will help persuade patients to resume their treatments on time.
