Cancer patients faced the wrath of the pandemic due to reduced mobility and low access to quality medical care , writes Shankar Seshadri
In recent years , the worldwide fight against the SARS-COV2 virus has resulted in the neglect of noncommunicable diseases due to the SARS-COV2 virus ' s ability to spread and cause a pandemic .
Non Communicable diseases are a diverse group of chronic diseases that cannot be transmitted from one person to another and is also the leading cause of death in India . According to WHO , every year , around 41 million people lose their lives to noncommunicable diseases ( NCDs ), and around 10 million people succumb to cancer .
The pandemic ’ s impact on cancer patient
Cancer patients faced the wrath of the pandemic due to reduced mobility and low access to quality medical care . The diagnosis , management , and treatment of cancer is time sensitive and due to the delay in diagnosis and treatment , there was also a significant rise in cancer-related mortality and stage migration . According to data from 41 cancer centres in India , the pandemic outstandingly reduced the number of new registrations , follow-up visits , cancer surgeries , radiotherapy treatments , and chemotherapy sessions . Cancer patients are considered extremely vulnerable to infections due to their immunocompromised state , thus the treatment regimens were altered or deescalated to reduce the dangers of the patient ’ s mortality .
Treatment modalities for cancer patients
With the current incidence of cancer , India must grapple with over a million and a half new cancer cases each year . Radiation therapy , among other treatment modalities , continues to be a larger component of cancer treatment
HealthTech
BIOVOICENEWS . COM 45