Advanced diagnostic methods needed to prevent, treat cancer

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, February 4

To commemorate World Cancer Day, Central University of Punjab (CUP) on Tuesday organised lectures on topic, ‘Cancer Prevention and Awareness’, on February 3.

The programme was organised by the Departments of Biochemistry, Zoology and Human Genetics & Molecular Medicine under the leadership of Vice-Chancellor Prof K Kohli. Eminent oncologists Dr Praveen Bansal, Director, Baba Farid University of Health Science (BFUHS), Faridkot, and cancer immunologist Dr Sunil Arora, cancer immunologist, PGIMER, Chandigarh, were the guest speakers.

The speakers highlighted the need for lifestyle modifications to reduce the risk of cancer. Besides faculty members, non-teaching employees, over 300 students and research scholars took part in the event.

Dr Aklank Jain, a cancer biologist from the Department of Zoology, welcomed the guest speakers and introduced the programme theme. He said: “There is a need for advanced cancer diagnostic methods to prevent and treat cancer.”

Dr Parveen Bansal defined cancer as malignant growth caused due to uncontrolled division of cells. He said spices, vegetables and fruits kept diseases at bay. He emphasised practising asans such as upavasa, dinacharya and ritucharya in daily life to stay fit and healthy.

Dr Sunil Arora said it was essential to study tumour microenvironment to identify the growth and development of cancer cells. He said additional research was needed to study the origin and chemoresistance of cancer cells. Cancer can be cured by targeting the tumour microenvironment and by strengthening the immune system, Dr Sunil said.

Dr Shashank Kumar, cancer biochemist from the Department of Biochemistry, CUP, said according to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) data, around 1.5 lakh new breast cancer cases occurred annually in the country. Stage 0 breast cancer is the earliest form of breast cancer and due to the absence of symptoms, it is hard to detect, he said. Dr Shashank said the periodic physical examination of breast by self or a trained health worker might help detect cancer early.

Dr Sabyasachi Senapati, human geneticist from the Department of Human Genetics & Molecular Medicine, CUP, said: “Appropriate genetic tests for early diagnosis and preventive therapies for some forms of familial breast, prostate, uterine, colorectal, liver and ovarian cancer can reduce the risk of cancer by up to 40%. The Department of Health Research and the ICMR are creating awareness on the disease through several projects.”

During the programme, university students presented a thematic poster. A nukkad natak to educate public about cancer prevention was staged by students.

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