Oral Cancer still a challenge

admin — Fri, 05 Jun 2015 09:37:20 +0000

Oral cancer has come into sharp focus recently following the passing away of former home minister of Maharashtra due to oral cancer. It was surprising that a person of his eminence and stature should have been detected in advanced stage and that too in Mumbai.

Oral cancer denotes cancer involving inner lining of the cheek, oral tongue, floor of the mouth, hard palate and lips. It is estimated that 400,000 oral cancers are diagnosed every year in the world and ranks as 6th most frequent cancer amongst the males. Forming 30% of all cancers in India, 60-80% of oral cancers present in advanced stage as compared to 40% in developed world. Age adjusted incidence rate is 20 per 100,000 of the population. Cancer is not a notifiable disease in India.

Mortality rates and incidence of oral cancer have remained relatively unchanged for decades. Major risk factors are chewing of tobacco, betel nuts and other additional astringents in betel quid, and alcohol. The other significant factors contributing to oral cancer are poor oral and dental hygiene, periodontal disease, and premalignant conditions such as red, white or mixed lesions.

Common symptoms are persistent sore or a nonhealing ulcer or white/red patch, pain, bleeding, loosening of the tooth due to underlying cancer or enlarged lymph nodes in the neck.

90% of oral cancers are squamous cell carcinomas. Most of the cancers can be diagnosed without difficulty by visual examination of the oral cavity by either a dental surgeon or a physician using good illumination. Despite lot of progress in research, there is limited progress in diagnosis of early oral cancer. Staining techniques using dyes like toluidine blue or using light after dehydration of the oral mucosa with acetic acid, has not made any significant change in diagnosis of early cancers. Velscope (enhanced examination) system is one more additional screening method. Velscope uses direct tissue fluorescence using green light. Loss of fluorescence indicates dysplastic activity to target the site for biopsy.

About Global Hospital

admin — Wed, 05 Feb 2014 05:53:10 +0000

As I look back to May 2002, it seems that the time has just flown! We have grown into a 120 bedded multi-speciality tertiary care hospital in 2009 from humble beginnings as a peripheral municipal hospital in May 2002. We now have 8 Intensive Care Beds, 14 Intensive Coronary Care Beds, 4 High Dependency Unit (HDU) beds and 5 operating room suites. The hospital provides almost every type of service in the fields of diagnosis, investigations and treatment. We have also made significant contribution in the field of rehabilitation, research, education and training. Other facilities include Speciality Clinics, Sports Medicine Centre, Executive Health Checkups, Life Style Modification and support group for Breast Cancer. The Department of Anesthesiology needs a special mention for their outstanding record in successfully conducting anesthesia for high risk patients without any hassles. Our Cardiac Centre has been doing excellent contribution by providing emergency care of patients with heart problems especially… especially those with heart attacks. The Department of Ophthalmology has acquired retinal laser which makes us a tertiary level eye care facility. Histopathology Department has improved with addition of frozen section facility for intraoperative decision making in cancer surgery. CT Scan Department has installed 16 slice GE Lite Speed CT machine and provides services at competitive rates.
We have started “Defeat Cancer” Series, a public education initiative which will last the entire year (2009) to telecast 15 minutes programmes twice a day on Care TV, an exclusive health channel. We have already made 7 episodes each for Breast Cancer and Gynecological Cancer (cervix, ovary and endometrium) and plan to make four more series.

Last, but not the least, BSES Municipal General Hospital is a role model of Private Public Participation Project and offers probably a fine example of what can be achieved in the field of healthcare by PPP. The positive outcome of this project needs to be highlighted in the electronic media since public hospitals which have tremendous potential can be better utilized by following our example.

Dr. Ashok R. Mehta
Medical Director
MS, FRCS(Glasgow), FICS

Dr. Ashok Mehta,MS, FRCS (GLASGOW), FICS » Uncategorized

Oral Cancer still a challenge

About Global Hospital