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| American Oncology Institute at DMCH honoring Cancer Survivors on the occasion of the National Cancer Survivors Day |
Ludhiana, June 10, 2018 (Rajinder Ahuja): American Oncology Institute (AOI), a US based chain of cancer hospitals, at DMCH today honored the brave spirit of Cancer Survivors on the occasion of the National Cancer Survivors Day, 2018. The event was organized in the presence of Prem Kumar Gupta, Secretary, DMCH, Dr. Sandeep Puri, Principal DMCH, Dr. Amit Dhawan, Facility Director, AOI Ludhiana and Senior Consultants of AOI, Ludhiana. It also saw gathering of several Cancer Survivors, their families and friends, wherein survivors narrated their stories of survivorship and their struggle in the battle with cancer.
American Oncology Institute is a Pittsburgh, US based cancer care chain that operates centers across multiple cities in India and South Asia. AOI provides integrated cancer care that is powered by clinical excellence, world class technology as well as international pathways and protocols, providing never-before quality in cancer care across India and South Asia.
In the recent times, India has seen an increase in the incidence of cancer due to factors such as urbanization, industrialization, lifestyle changes and population growth. Cancer afflicts an estimated 3 million Indians, with over 800,000 new cases and 550,000 deaths occurring each year. In India, cancer is most often detected at advanced stages of the disease leading to poor survival and higher mortality rates. The number of people that survive for five years and above after being diagnosed with cancer seems to be particularly low in India compared to that of more advanced countries. Even in breast and prostate cancers, where medical advances have ensured that over 80% of the patients survive in advanced countries, only about 60% of Indian patients survive. Cervical cancer survival rates are 46% in India compared to the global figure of 50%. Accessibility to early diagnosis as well as access to optimal treatment systems is essential for India to improve survival rates.
National Cancer Survivors Day is a Celebration for those who have survived, an inspiration for those recently diagnosed, a gathering of support for families, and an outreach to the community.
The occasion was aimed at empowering patients, families and the society at large to make informed decisions regarding prevention, planning and various treatment options available to them. The event was a part of American Oncology Institute’s continuous endeavor to raise awareness about the prevention of cancer, the importance of early diagnosis to treat the disease effectively, and to provide support to survivors.
Speaking at the event, Dr. Amit Dhawan, Facility Director, AOI Ludhiana said, “Cancer is curable. Today we are able to cure about 50-60% of all cancers because of advancement in technology in all fields of cancer treatments which are surgical oncology, medical oncology and radiation oncology. New technologies play a vital role to control several cancers. New technology includes treatment options like Rapid arc, IGRT, IMRT etc. Several drugs have been innovatively introduced to control cancer and also several drugs combat side effects of chemotherapy.”
Prem Kumar Gupta, Secretary, DMCH Ludhiana, shared, “National Cancer Survivors Day is a day when we celebrate the inspirational stories of real life heroes. The people who have been on a difficult journey, but never lost hope. It is a recognition of their incredible grit, zest for life and self-belief. We are happy to share that AOI at DMCH is the reason behind many of these smiles.”