In an interview to Gaon Connection, a cancer specialist (oncologist) stated that environmental pollution, socio-cultural bearings and poor awareness about early screening are the biggest factors that contribute to the rise in the number of cancer patients in India.

In a Gaon Cafe session hosted by Nidhi Jamwal, Deputy Managing Editor at Gaon Connection, Abhishek Shankar – Associate Professor at the Patna-based All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) also said that the COVID19 pandemic had proved to be a major challenge for cancer care.

“It was an unprecedented challenge for the physicians and nobody had an inkling about what advice should ideally be given to cancer patients as they are required to visit the health facilities regularly — an advice that could possibly increase their risk of contracting COVID19,” the oncologist said.

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Air pollution — a silent killer

The doctor blamed the rising air pollution to be the biggest hazard that’s driving the surge in cancer patients in India. “Cancer like that of lungs, bladder cancer, hematological cancer, head and neck cancer are directly linked to the rising air pollution. People continuously exposed to vehicular emissions and construction workers are more at risk of developing the disease,” the oncologist told Gaon Connection.

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Among other forms of cancers prevalent in India in significant numbers are breast cancer, cervical cancer, prostrate cancer and stomach cancer, the doctor informed.

‘Cancer treatment requires resources, not a poor person’s disease’

When asked about the cancer care in the rural areas in India, the oncologist stated it bluntly: “Talking in practical terms, cancer doesn’t even find a mention in a poor person’s top ten problems. These people living in India live on a daily basis. There is utter absence of healthcare facilities in the rural areas to treat a disease like cancer. Simply put, if you don’t have the required resources, you cannot fight cancer,” he said.

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The doctor also said that although the number of cancer hospitals have increased in the country in the urban centres, there is a serious lack of facilities in the rural areas to even provide basic healthcare.

“The development of medical infrastructure has happened in India but it’s uneven and there’s lot of disparity,” he remarked.