Bhopal (Madhya Pardesh): Initial symptoms of oral cancer have been found in 291 people out of 1,207 screened so far in JP Hospital on Sunday. In the special camp being organised for oral cancer screening, 1207 people have been screened using autofluorescence based equipment Velscope and GOCCLES. This special camp is being organized for the first time in the District Hospital, Bhopal. Under the Non-Communicable Disease Control Programme, cancer screening and treatment facilities are free.
Symptoms of oral cancer can be white or red rashes or wounds in the mouth, hardening of the skin in any part of the mouth, difficulty in chewing, swallowing or speaking, difficulty in opening the mouth, change in voice, etc. Oral cancer can affect any part of the mouth Chief Medical and Health Officer, Bhopal, Dr. Prabhakar Tiwari said, “the people who have been found to have early symptoms of oral cancer in the camp are being followed up.
Three patients have been referred for biopsy. People who use tobacco products like gutkha, khaini, zarda, beedi, cigarettes are more likely to develop oral cancer than others and so those with these symptoms must keep getting screened, said the CMHO. “At present, every year 12 to 13 lakh people die in the country due to diseases caused by tobacco. Tobacco causes risk of many types of cancer. India has the highest incidence of oral cancer. Oral cancer accounts for 18 to 20 percent of total cancer patients in India, ” he further added.
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