Grecian Mohali, which brands itself as an affordable super speciality hospital, is now positioning itself as a premier cancer hospital of the region after equipped itself with the latest PET-Scan and Gamma Camera. As part of its public outreach it is observing a cancer awareness month, coinciding with the February 4 World Cancer Day.
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During the entire month, apart from free consultation in oncology, urology, gynaecology, diet and nutrition, gastroenterology, cardiology, orthopaedics and general medicine, free testing will be done for blood pressure, sugar and ECG.
Photo By : Life In Chandigarh
On February 2, a free mega cancer screening camp will be organised in the Sector 69 hospital from 9 am to 2 pm (call 6283705192 for registration), in which consultation will be complimentary and all prescribed tests will be conducted at highly subsidised rates.
Also on offer throughout the cancer awareness month will be specific cancer screening packages for cervix, prostate, lung and gastro-intestinal at affordable rates ranging from Rs 1099-1299. General cancer screening packages for men and women will range from Rs 1999-2999. There will be 30% off on routine lab and radiology tests during the entire month.
Sharing details of the cancer awareness month with media persons on Thursday, a team of doctors from the hospital’s Radiology and Imaging department and Oncology department said the awareness will focus on risk factors, need for early screening and detection, preventive measures, symptoms and treatment modalities.
It was heartening to see that there were more women doctors than men in the team comprising Dr Saloni Mehta, Head, Deptt of Radiology & Imaging; Dr Rakesh Kumar Gupta, Radiotherapist; Dr Rupali Aggarwal, Radio Oncologist; Dr Sonia Dhaka, Medical Oncologist and Dr Munish Mahajan, Surgical Oncologist.
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They said as part of the activities, there will be daily walkathons at public parks in Chandigarh and Mohali. One will be at Sukhna Lake as well. Health talks have been planned in educational institutions and for senior citizens, among whom incidence of cancer increases. Live Facebook interactions by doctors and a showcase of cancer survivors will be among the other activities.
The doctors informed that the commonest cancers among males are mouth or oral cancer and lung cancer, while among females, in urban areas it is breast cancer and in rural areas cervix cancer, through lung cancer is also increasing seen among females both in urban and rural areas because of smoking habits.
Later interacting with LifeInChandigarh.com Dr Saloni shared that early detection through screening continues to be the key to survival of cancer patients. Females must undergo mammography at age 40-45 years to detect breast cancers. For cervix cancer, which afflicts sexually active females above 30 years, PAP smear test is recommended. These two tests are a must for females under well established medical guidelines. After 50 years of age, colonoscopy to detect intestinal cancer is also an option worth exploring seriously, she added.
Among early symptoms of cancer can be:
* Significant and unexplained loss of weight
* Constant breathlessness and tiredness
* Bleeding through cough, stool or vomit
* Hunger pangs and constant problems with digestive system
* Persistent stomach problem and pain in lower abdomen
* Sudden and persistent change in bowel habits
* Persisting lumps in any part of the body
* Wounds that do not heal for long
* Prolonged cough and chest pain
* Sudden change is size of breast or feeling of pain
Dr Rakesh Kumar Gupta reaffirmed that cancer is very much treatable if patients seek medical help at an early stage, but a majority of patients come to a doctor when they have reached the third stage of cancer because of continuing lack of awareness. If people ignore the early symptoms and do not see a doctor immediately then they may cross the stage of no return, he asserted.
The doctors informed that some cancers can be detected during routine blood tests and ultrasound, but there are separate general and specific screening packages for cancers. As a rule, males who are 40-plus must get PSA test done for prostate cancer when they are getting routine tests like RFT, LFT, etc done, they added.
Among Grecian Hospital’s new acquisitions, the PET Scan, which is a 15-20 minutes whole body screening procedure, provides clues to the most suitable treatment option for a cancer and subsequently how a patient is responding to treatment. The Gamma Camera is an imaging technique which helps in identifying diseases with functional scans of the brain, thyroid, lungs, liver, gall bladder, kidney and skeleton.
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