HEALTH

Lady Nicotine causes head and neck cancers
Nalini Ranjan

New Delhi, December 28
Head and neck cancers have become more common in India. The most affected organs are in the so-called upper aero-digestive tract. Cheeks, lips, tongue, gums, pharynx and larynx are the organs hit most. It is not difficult to understand why this region is afflicted by this disease.

Tobacco, in the form of smoking, accounts for this malady. Other means of tobacco use like chewing and inhaling, compound the problem. Alcohol aggravates the biological injury caused by tobacco.

In cases where patients do not have a history of tobacco or alcohol consumption, it is the genetic make-up which makes them susceptible to cancer. In fact, it is now believed that environmental factors, acting upon an organ with an abnormal genetic make-up, lead to majority of the head and neck cancers.

Apart from the aero-digestive tract, other areas, affected by head and neck cancer, include thyroid gland and salivary glands.

According to Dr M.S. Ganesh, Senior Consultant, Department of Surgical Oncology, Dharamshila Cancer Hospital, most common symptoms are due to the local effects of tumours.

These include non-healing ulcers which cause pain and bleeding, swellings and symptoms like pain during swallowing, change in voice, difficulty in breathing and other such symptoms. Tumour spreads to the glands in the neck which produces swelling in the neck and has a common presence in many patients.

In cancers of this kind, there is little likelihood of its spread to distant organs like lungs and liver. For a long time, these cancers remain confined to the head and the neck region.

According to Dr Ganesh, lack of awareness among patients leads to these symptoms which are often overlooked. The diagnosis of these cancers is done by specialised equipment. Biopsy confirmation is essential to start treatment.

The treatment of head and neck cancer requires expertise and intensive training. Surgery and radiation therapy are the main stay of the treatment. The surgical management of head and neck cancers, according to Dr Ganesh, is a challenging task, requiring dedicated head and neck cancer surgeons. Surgical resections are complex and demanding. Dr Ganesh explains that the resulting cosmetic and functional defects need to be corrected by a foolproof reconstructive technique. The results of surgical treatment are gratifying and yield good results. Radiation therapy is an equally important treatment modality. In the early stage of the head and neck cancer, surgery is an effective method of treatment. However, doctors warn that at an advanced stage, the disease requires a combination of surgery and radiation therapy.

With the availability of the latest radiation machines and newer delivery systems, radiation therapy has become an effective modality to treat head and neck cancers. Chemotherapy, as already emphasised, adds to the benefits of surgery and radiation therapy. Newer drugs are available which are effective and at the same time less toxic. The best way to prevent head and neck cancers, feels Dr Ganesh, is to curtail the use of tobacco in any form.

SPORTS

Northern Zone down Delhi, enter cricket final
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, December 28
Northern Zone defeated Delhi Zone by six wickets and entered the cricket final of the 19th All-India Punjab National Bank Inter-Zone Sports Meet at the Karnail Singh Stadium in the Capital on Friday.

Scores: Delhi Zone: 139/6 in 30 overs (Rajesh Sharma 42 n o, H S Kohli 45). Northern Zone: 140 for 4 in 26 overs (P K Madan 62 n o).

In another semi-final, Punjab Zone defeated West UP Zone by seven wickets. Scores: West UP Zone: 154 in 29.2 overs.

Punjab Zone: 157/3 (Rajeev Khanduja 65 n o, Anil Sharma 50).

Defending champions Delhi entered the football final when they defeated Eastern Zone by a lone goal scored by Deepu Lamba. In badminton team championship, Delhi Zone entered the final beating Punjab Zone 3-0 in a one-sided semi-final.

The Rajasthan Zone defeated MP Zone 66-23 to enter the kabaddi final. In chess, at the end of the sixth round, Akshay Saxena of Central UP Zone and Ravi Verma of Rajasthan Zone were leading with five points each.

Eastern Zone defeated Bihar Zone 25-19,25-16,25-17 to enter the volleyball final. Southern Zone defeated West UP Zone 3-2 in carrom.

R P Bhalla of Delhi Zone won the javelin gold for men when he heaved the spear to a distance of 44.16 metres. N S Nitwal of Central UP Zone took the silver while R P Rao of East UP Zone accounted for the bronze.

Bimal Jass of Northern Zone took the women’s javelin gold when she cleared 19.64 metres. Mrudula of Southern Zone and C K Lahori of Western Zone finished second and third.

Sudha of MP Zone won the gold medal in the 3,000 metres for women while Anita of Northern Zone and Alice of Punjab Zone finished second and third. P S Rathore of Central UP Zone clocked 20.8 secs to lift the 110m hurdles (men) title. He was followed by Deepu Lama of Delhi Zone, who clocked 20.9 secs and S K Dogra of Punjab (21.9 secs).

North Zone clocked 1:16.31 secs to win the women’s 4x100m gold. Punjab took the silver (1:17.14 secs) and Western Zone the bronze (1:19.33 secs). In the men’s 4x400m relay, Punjab Zone came first with a time of 4:03.8 secs while Northern Zone (4:09.4) and West UP Zone (4:17.9 secs) claimed the silver and bronze respectively.

North Zone have dominated the athletic events, as their athletes have figured among medals in most events.

Satya Prakash Ghildiyal is no more
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, December 28
Noted television and radio sports commentator and football player, Satya Prakash Ghildiyal, died of lung cancer at the Kailash Hospital in Noida on Friday. He had been admitted to the Dharmashila Cancer Hospital a month back, before being shifted to Kailash. Satya Prakash, 42, leaves behind his wife and two sons.

Employed with the Delhi Vidyut Board (DVB), Satya Prakash was also a versatile Hindi commentator and freelance journalist. He had covered many national and international sports events for Doordarshan and All-India Radio. He was also a regular contributor of articles for various newspapers. A versatile goalkeeper, Satya Prakash had represented Delhi University, Delhi State and various senior division clubs of Delhi. He played for the PGDAV Collge and Jamia Milia University, Budhist Blue Stars, Frontiers, Garhwal Heroes, Mughals, Delhi Veterans and West Delhi. He was the custodian of the West Delhi team when they emerged the Delhi Soccer Association B Division champions last year.

He had represented Delhi in Durand, DCM and many reputed outstation tournaments. He was also a regular member of the former Delhi Electric Supply Undertaking and later DVB teams in the DSA Institutional League Championship for the last 20 years. The DSA, Delhi Football Players’ Welfare Association (DFPWA) and Delhi Veterans Football Club mourned the untimely death of Satya Prakash. They expressed their heart-felt condolences to his family. His funeral will take place at Nigambodh Ghat on Saturday afternoon.

Garhwal Heroes split points with Shahdara in DSA League
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, December 28
Last year’s semi-finalists Shahdara Club were held to a goalless draw by Garhwal Heroes in a Group B preliminary round match of the Delhi Soccer Association (DSA)-SAIL Senior Division Football League Championship at the Ambedkar Stadium here today. In a match of equal power and strength, both the teams attacked with sharpness though they could not convert their goal-bearing moves into goals. The Garhwal Heroes had the better of the exchanges in the first half, but forwards Jasbir, Navin Malik and Surender Butola were unable to beat custodian Mahender Kumar under the Shahdara goal.

The Shahdara were without many of their regular players in the first half as they were reportedly busy with Delhi Audit’s selection trials for employment. However, these players joined Shahdara in the second half to strengthen their team, and this time Garhwal Heroes were at the receiving end for most of the time. Shahdara’s play-makers, Manoj Bhatt and Kamal Rawat, set up a number of good moves, but forwards Bhupender Thakur, a former international, and out-side left Osmond John Ekka failed to cash in on the chances. Garhwal Heroes’s custodian Kiran Barua also proved to be a stumbling block in Shahdara’s bid to score a goal. He stopped Neeraj Choudhary and Bhupender Thakur from scoring sure goals.

The match was often marred by rough play, and referee Mohd. Kamil had to flash the yellow card to discipline Ramesh, Sunil Patwal and S K Shrawn of Garhwal Heroes and Bhupender Thakur of Shahdara.

Meanwhile, the organisers had no respite from their battle with the truant teams as Collegians Club failed to turn up in their second match of the league against Moonlight.

The league sub-committee has suspended the other matches featuring Collegians following two consecutive walk-overs by the club.

Saturday’s fixtures: Tarun Sangha vs Goans (1.30); Youngmen vs Frontiers (3 p m)–Ambedkar Stadium.

Vishakha enters semis of PACT tennis
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, December 28
Vishakha Sheoren beat Sameera Sharma 8-0 to enter the girl’s under-14 quarter final of the PACT (Parents’ Attempt to Create Tennis-players) Open Junior Tennis Championship at the Old Rajinder Nagar in the Capital on Friday.

In other under-14 girls matches, Nikung Kamal beat Surbhi Bhatia 8-0, Radhika Malik beat Khyati Jhakur 8-1 and Kanika Choudhary beat Garima Vatwani 8-6. Results of the other matches are: Boys’s Under-10 quarter-finals: Lakshit Sood beat Shikhar Kapoor 8-2, Subhash Chand oa b Shantanu 8-6, Rohit Bhist b Paresh Duegla 8-1, Aditya Ayushman b Kshitiji Kamal 8-2.

Boy’s Under-12 quarter-final: Rubal b Arjun Choudhary 8-2, Lakshit Sood b Kshitji Kamal 8-1, Subhash Chand Roa b Shantanu 8-3, Ankit Sachdeva b Chandri Sood 8-0. Boys’s Under-14 quarter-final: Rubal b Arjun Choudhary 8-0, Pankaj Thappa b Pankaj Kulthia 8-4, Subhash Chand Roa b Shantanu 8-4, Puneet Rawat b Abhijit Patro 8-1. Boy’s Under-8 semi-final: Rohit Bishit b Surleen 6-0, Rohit Bhist b Sidyant Sau Prabhu 6-0. Girls Under-12 quarter-final: Vishaka Suarien b Kisti Sachdeva 8-0, Garima Vatwani b Anousha Kapoor 8-1, Sweta Singh b Rishika Sunkara 8-1, Radhika Malik b Aditi Bhatia 8-1.