Our knowledge of cancer has greatly improved in the last two decades. Even then, the management of cancer remains one of the biggest challenges of the 21st century. On this World Cancer Day, let’s look deep into the facts and figures of Cancer in India and see how the treatment landscape is changing for the better.
Recent research has found that a new blood test that looks for circulating tumour cells could significantly improve the diagnosis of prostate cancer and avoid unnecessary biopsies and treatments. According to the research by the Queen Mary University of London, combining the new test with prostate-specific antigen (PSA) results can yield a diagnosis of aggressive […]
A new device for the early detection of cancer has been launched at the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC). C-MET, an autonomous scientific society has developed this device under the Make in India scheme and a Bangalore based startup Niramai. Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers affecting women. According to the latest […]
The researchers at Central Drug Research Institute (CDRI) in Lucknow have recently found that certain leprosy drugs might help treat myeloma, a type of blood cancer. Clinical Researcher Sabyasachi Sanyal at CDRI in collaboration with clinical haematology department of King George’s Medical University screened FDA-approved drugs in chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) cells and found that […]
A recent study finds out that antibiotic use is linked to the higher risk of developing bowel cancer. The findings, published online in the journal Gut conclude that there is an association between antibiotic use and an increase in colon cancer risk, but a decrease in rectal cancer risk. According to the researchers, the findings […]
Researchers have discovered new cancer therapies that don’t have side-effects that often accompany current cancer treatments. The researchers found this by identifying a protein modification that specifically supports proliferation and survival of tumour cells. The findings were published in the ‘Journal of Biological Chemistry’. A patient might suffer from many side effects which include anaemia, […]
In a first, AIIMS Delhi introduced a state-of-the-art fluorescence imaging technology for easy identification of cancer-affected breast tissues. Dr SVS Deo, the Surgical Oncology department head says that the technology will be a “game-changer” in breast cancer surgery space as it precisely helps identify relevant tissue intraoperatively. More than 250 peer-reviewed publications demonstrate that the […]
A new study suggests that a strain of the common cold virus can infect and kill bladder cancer cells. The research study was published in the ‘Clinical Cancer Research’ medical journal. Researchers from the University of Surrey and Royal Surrey County Hospital investigated the safety and tolerability of exposure to the oncolytic (‘cancer-killing’) virus coxsackievirus […]
The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority(NPPA) has slashed the retail prices of nine anti-cancer drugs, including commonly used chemotherapy injections to treat lung cancer by up to 87%. This major step aims in making cancer cure affordable to all the patients. According to the new order, the maximum retail price of chemotherapy injection pemetrexed (500mg) has […]
A recent report in the Economic Times is a fascinating read for the links it investigates between the colour blue and cancer in a colony. Some of the high points from the article are given here. Alok Rathore is a 16 year old school student whose right hand had to be severed to prevent cancer […]