PANAJI: Sunrise Oncology Center, (chemotherapy unit) has launched its branch at Vision Multispecialty Hospital at Mapusa. The centre was inaugurated by Dr. Kumar Prabhash, Professor and Head of Medical Oncology department of Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, in the presence of Dr. Chandrakant Shetye, Dr. Bhagyashree Shetye, Dr. Ashay Karpe, Dr. Bharat Bhosale, Mr. Girish Korde and Dr. Vijay Sharnangat, on Sunday.
In a press release, Dr. Chandrakant Shetye is quoted as saying: “The incidence of cancer is increasing in Goa. According to data published by ‘India State-Level Disease Burden Initiative Cancer Collaborators’, the incidence rate has gone up from 52.5 to 97 per 100,000 from 1990 to 2016. Hence it is important to tackle cancer. Our goal at Vision Hospital’s daycare center will be to aim for curing cancer along with preservation of the quality of life.”
While inaugurating the Mapusa Centre at Vision Multispecialty Hospital, Dr. Kumar Prabhash shared important statistics related to cancer in India. He mentioned that the common cancers in males according to crude death rates, are stomach cancer (rank-1), pharynx cancer other than nasopharynx (rank 2), liver cancer (rank 3), lung (rank 4) and lip & oral cavity cancer (rank 5). Common cancers in females according to crude death rates, are breast cancer (rank-1), stomach cancer (rank-2), lip & oral cavity cancer (rank 3), pharynx cancer other than nasopharynx (rank 4) and cervical cancer (rank-5). He said that the figures provided above are as per data published by ‘India State-Level Disease Burden Initiative Cancer Collaborators’ in Lancet Oncology journal in October 2018. He said, “there is a lack of published registry data from Goa”. Existing data suggests that common cancers in Goa according to crude DALY (disability-adjusted life-year) rates are stomach cancer, breast cancer, pharynx cancer other than nasopharynx, lip & oral cavity cancer and lung cancer. Also, there is limited data about childhood cancers from Goa. However, in accordance with ICMR report 2021 – 7.9% of all cancers are childhood cancers. The commonest are leukaemia, lymphoma, bone and soft tissue tumors, central nervous system tumors, renal tumors and retinoblastoma.
Dr. Kumar Prabhash further said: “Comprehensive care is required for all cancers. Both, a core team of Oncologists and allied teams are required. Not only is cure required, but a decrement in adverse events is also very important.” Hence he believes that this new center in Goa will be a boon for the local population who will get access to comprehensive cancer care provided by Sunrise Oncology team.
According to the Sunrise Oncology Center team of Dr. Ashay Karpe, Dr. Bharat Bhosale, Dr. Vijay Sharnangat and Girish Korde, “the focus of Sunrise Oncology Center across all its centers is to focus on comprehensive cancer care. They said that two aspects are critical for any treatment – treatment access and experience while taking the treatment. These aspects are pivotal in cancer treatment as well. With a rapidly growing disease population (17-18 lakh cases and 9-10 Lakh deaths in 2020) treatment access in cancer is badly impacted due to low awareness (only 12-13% detected present at early stage), sub-optimal infrastructure (200-250 comprehensive care centers only in India) and lack of affordability (80-85% patients are self-paying without access to any kind of insurance) – all these aspects impact treatment access significantly in cancer.
Most cancer patients either go the large regional institutes operated by Government or go to private segment having standalone / corporate private hospitals or specialty chains. Undoubtedly, both segments are doing their best but still drawbacks exist in both segments. While you have access to highly experienced doctors seeing a huge number of patients daily and with access to latest clinical updates in Oncology in public institutes – the waiting time for consultations and all relevant processes is very high leading to loss of valuable time for a Cancer patient. On the other hand, in a private setup, treatment ambience is good, waiting is relatively lesser – but latest treatments may not be affordable for many. So, the overall treatment experience also has some gaps. And through our centers in Mumbai, Thane and Goa, Sunrise Oncology Center clearly focuses on addressing the existing gaps in cancer treatment access as well as treatment experience, through our ‘Comprehensive Care’ approach.”
