Prostate cancer cases on the rise, is the third leading cancer in India
- Today, it is the second most common form of cancer amongst men, after lung and mouth cancer.
Chennai,
June 25, 2019: At a press briefing held recently, renowned urologist, Dr. N
Ragavan highlighted that in India, around 25,000 people are diagnosed to have prostate
cancer4, indicating an alarming rise in the disease. As per
available statistics, since the 1990s, cases
of prostate cancer have shot up by over 220% and India’s National Cancer
Registry Programme estimates that the incidence is expected to grow rapidly by
2020.3
 |
Dr. N. Ragavan, Senior
Consultant Urologist, Uro-oncologist and Robotic Surgeon
|
One of the most commonly
diagnosed cancers in men across the world, prostate cancer usually begins when
cells in the prostate gland start to grow uncontrollably due to adverse genes, coupled
with unhealthy lifestyles. Imbalanced diet, physical inactivity and smoking
increase a person’s chances of contracting the disease. And due to growing urbanization, workplace stress and sedentary
lifestyles, the incidence rates of this cancer are rapidly increasing, and expected
to double by 2020. As per population-based
cancer registries, metropolitan
cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata have recorded a statistically significant increasing trend
in incidence rates over time.
Dr.
N. Ragavan, Senior Consultant Urologist, Uro-oncologist and Robotic Surgeon, said, “India has seen more than 45,000 number of cases
in the last few years4. Prostate cancer is among the leading cancers
in India. It usually affects men in age group of 65+ years. Recently there has
been an increase in reports of cancer in younger men in the age group of 35-44
and 55-64 residing in metropolitan cities including Chennai. Old age, obesity,
improper diet, and genetic propensities have been identified as some of the
main contributing factors towards rising incidences of prostate cancer. The key
to successfully treating this form of cancer is early detection, while it is
still confined to prostate gland. Regular follow-up after any treatment
modality is very critical to prevent relapse of the tumor.”2
The stages and the
treatment of prostate cancer can be broadly classified into two stages.
Early-stage (Stage I and II) of prostate cancer usually grows very slowly and
may take years to cause any signs and symptoms or other health problems.1The
second stage is locally advanced prostate cancer (stage III). Depending upon
the stage of cancer, active surveillance, watchful waiting, radical
prostatectomy, laparoscopic prostatectomy, hormone therapy, cryotherapy, may be
recommended. Standard method of screening for prostate cancer is a digital
rectal exam and blood tests for prostate-specific antigen (PSA), a protein that
signals to the body that the cancer cell is present. Early detection and
getting screened regularly will help prevent the disease to some extent.
Correct
and complete knowledge of cancer, treatment options, new advancements in
R&D are very important in helping policy makers and concerned authorities
to plan and formulate sound cancer control strategies based on scientific and
empirical bases.
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