- The Asian Head and Neck Cancer Foundation’s 1st International Congress on Dental Oncology and Research in Ahmedabad sees participation of 350 international and domestic dental oncologists, dentists
- To address the gap between patients, cancer surgeons and oral health care providers
NE HEALTH BUREAU
AHMEDABAD, SEP 4
Internationally-renowned expert in Head and Neck Cancer Dr Jatin P Shah inaugurated the India’s first 1st International Congress on Dental Oncology and Research, organised by the Asian Head and Neck Cancer Foundation organised, in Ahmedabad on Friday.
Kickstarting the conference, Dr Shah said that India is the cancer capital of the world and the need of the hour is its early detection and prevention in rural as well as urban areas with missionary zeal to contain this cancer menace.
Speaking with navjeevanexpress.com, Dr SV Kumaraswamy, one of the best dental oncologists of the world with over 40 years of experience in teaching and practicing, from Bengaluru in Karnataka said, “I want to train maximum number of dental practitioners of the country in early detection of oral cancer, a part of head and neck cancer, as they can do wonders in the healthcare sector. Oral cancer is preventable and curable, if detected in early stage but will be fatal in the last stage. To spread awareness on this, we have to impart training to the teams of dentists and healthcare workers in all parts of the country, especially rural areas, where they can detect early signs and send the patients for expert care to cure them.”
Dr Shakti Singh Deora, the organising secretary said, “Oral cancers are dreaded the most as they are deemed to be incurable. However, the fear is obvious as oral cancer alone accounts for 30% of all cancers in India. With this conference, we aim at clearing the myth of oral cancer being fatal by spreading awareness about routine screenings, early detection and effective treatment.”
“Primary objective of this conference is to highlight the pivotal role of oral healthcare providers and dental professionals in spreading awareness, prevention, early detection and treatment of oral cancer. We will prevail over the healthcare sector to set up a separate Dental Oncology Department in all district-level hospitals and cancer hospitals to meet this end. At the forefront of the conference agenda, it sensitizes general population about the need for annual head neck cancer screening. It works extensively in rural and urban areas of Rajasthan, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh towards betterment of society and welfare of cancer patients. The Foundation had already signed an MoU with the Government of Gujarat in this regard,” Dr Deora added.
Dr Kiran Patel, President, Mucormycosis Rehabilitation Society of India emphasizing the importance of the early detection and need of awareness about the importance of routine screening said, “We have been observing that citizens who have been consuming tobacco and other stuff are more prone to being diagnosed with the disease and are at the verge of or are already have entered into critical phase when they approach their dentists hence it is really important to inoculate habit of routine screening in general population. It helps cure the unimaginable and can help you live a happier life.”
While over 70% cases of oral cancer are reported in advanced stages, it becomes one of the deadliest diseases because of late detection making its prognosis poor and questionable. Reasons for delayed detection include lack of awareness amongst general population, inadequate number of healthcare professionals for screening early detection, lack of access to healthcare facilities, inadequate tertiary care centres and social stigma.
According to Dr Natasha Lalwani, the organising co-secretary, “With this first-of-its-kind conference in India, we have brought together eminent international speakers from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre, New York (USA) and leading national healthcare professionals as well. With them sharing their invaluable knowledge and experience in the field, we intent to bridge the yawning gap between cancer surgeons, oral healthcare providers and patients, thereby addressing alarming rates of late detection and poor prognosis of oral cancer.”
Dental Oncology is an emerging trend in the area of Dentistry, focusing on dental and oral manifestations of chemotherapy, radiation therapy and/or head and neck surgery.
This event emphasizes and highlights the key role of oral healthcare providers, dental professionals in screening, prevention, early detection, treatment and rehabilitation of oral cancer patients and empowering them in dealing with oral manifestations and complications of oral cancer.
This International Congress on Dental Oncology and Research will play a crucial role in fight against rising menace of oral cancers. It is an interactive platform to raise public awareness and re-emphasize the importance of healthcare professionals about on their contribution to prevention, accurate screening, treatment and rehabilitation of cancer patients.
Social responsibility and a collaborative approach towards cancer care and management can drastically reduce the overall burden on patients as well as medical professions. Additionally it will also promote better treatment outcomes, attentive rehabilitation and improved quality of life for cancer patients.
