As part of the series on cancer awareness, Radio Dwarka invited medical oncologist Dr. Sumant Gupta to know more about cancer, symptoms, diagnosis, cure, and preventive measures.
Cancer is not one disease; there are more than 200-250 different types of diseases that are part of cancer. "The biggest issue in our country is delayed diagnosis. There are four stages of cancer; the Stage 1 of cancer affects one organ, Stage 2 of cancer affects the same organ but in a bigger way, Stage 3 has an impact on the organs around the infected organ and Stage 4 is when it spreads to all organs in the body. While Stage 1 and 2 of cancer are easy to cure, the other two Stages are difficult to treat."
He added, "Someone who has been diagnosed with cancer, needs to be made comfortable first and foremost, and then his or her family members need to be informed, and the patient can be told as well because he or she needs to co-operate for treatment to work."
Poor awareness, lack of education and poverty leads to the late diagnosis of cancer. "One must make a conscious effort to stay aware of any prolonged illness or any abnormality in one's body. More than opting for health check-up packages, one must immediately see a general physician who will go deep into the cause of the problem and prescribe the right kind of tests to diagnose it."
Cancer is no longer a genetic issue but a lifestyle problem. The most common form of cancer among women are cervical, and breast cancer and that in men are lung, mouth cancer and those which occur due to consumption of tobacco.
He said that cervical cancer is common among the women in rural areas while breast cancer is an urban phenomenon. "Women should be alert, and if they note any symptom related to their breasts or uterus, they must meet their gynaecologist right away," he advised.
Many forms of cancer don't need surgery and can be treated using chemotherapy. There are three types of chemotherapy — cytotoxic chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy — and these work differently. Some forms of cancer need surgery, though, he told. "The kind of treatment depends on the type of cancer, stage, and histopathology," Dr. Gupta said.
If detected early, cure rate will be high. "That will happen if awareness and education levels of the masses are high."
It is a misconception that treatment is costly. "The Government has made many cost-effective treatment options available for those who are suffering from cancer but to avail them, and one must visit a doctor if there's any abnormality."

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Vishal Gupta,
Radio Dwarka,
India's First Online Community Radio,
Monday, July 18, 2016,