Campaign to check oral cancer in rural Karnataka

A study by the international journal of head and neck surgery revealed that 58 percent of global head and neck cancers occur in Asia, with India accounting for 30 percent of them.



"The programme is an extension of my commitment to my commitment to make cancer care affordable and accessible. Our oral cancer screening programme using mobile technology in some villages has proven to be effective in early detection and intervention," Mazumdar Shaw said.

Going forward, the programme will be scaled to reach out a larger patient population in rural areas across the country as they are in dire need of diagnoses and treatment.

Head and neck cancer in India differs vastly from western countries as it depends on factors such as food habits, family and personal history.

"The world's highest incidence of cancers is found in districts of north-east, central and southern India. A belt of thyroid cancer has also been identified in women in coastal districts of Goa, Karnataka and Kerala," the study pointed out.