Medical conference puts focus on awareness, tech advances in helping cancer patients

The incidence of cancer continues to rise globally. However, with increased awareness, early detection and rapid technological advances, more and more patients are being cured and live for many years after the treatment. Cancer survivors often face a multitude of issues that affect their quality of life. To highlight the support needed for cancer survivors, the 29th North Zonal Conference of the Association of Radiation Oncologists of India (NZAROI2025) was held recently on the theme, “Striving Beyond Cancer Towards Wellness,” focusing on the quality of life of cancer survivors. The conference was accredited with eight CME credit hours by the Punjab Medical Council (PMC).

The inaugural ceremony, held at Lady Willingdon Hall, was graced by the presence of Dr Ramandeep Kaur, Civil Surgeon, who emphasised the importance of holistic healing in cancer survivors. Dr William Bhatti, Director, Christian Medical College, spoke about the need for awareness and sensitivity towards the challenges faced by survivors.

Principal Dr Jeyaraj Pandian reiterated the implementation of the new curriculum that lays emphasis on soft skills, professionalism, empathy and compassion. He highlighted that the journey of cancer does not end with cure but continues with healing and rebuilding, often requiring long-term support systems and survivor groups.

Dr MK Mahajan, former Head of the Department of Radiation Oncology, emphasised the importance of continued surveillance of cancer survivors. Dr Karamveer Goyal, Member of the Punjab Medical Council, appreciated the efforts of the organising team and recognised the need for humanistic attributes in managing cancer survivorship.

Dr Pamela Jeyaraj, Organising Chairperson & Secretary, and Dr Jaineet Sachdeva, Co-Organising Chairperson, highlighted that survivorship denotes not merely the end of treatment but the beginning of a new phase of life—one with its own unique challenges. The scientific sessions were meticulously curated to focus on treatment-related side-effects and their impact on the quality of life. — TNS