World No Tobacco Day 2023
Expansion
Youth are becoming cancer patients at an early age due to the easily available tobacco products. Till a decade ago, the age of patients coming to the hospital suffering from cancer due to tobacco was around 40 years, but now the age has come down to around 30 years.
This has been revealed by the data of Delhi State Cancer Institute. Doctors have expressed apprehension that if tobacco continues to be available as easily as it is now, then the average age will further decrease. It can reduce to 20 years. Due to this, the expenditure on health will increase, as well as the problems of the family will also increase.
In fact, more than one thousand patients come to the Delhi State Cancer Institute every day for cancer treatment. A large number of these are cancer victims due to tobacco. Recently, an 18-year-old patient had to have his jaw removed due to oral cancer. His age is 18 years. A large number of other similar patients are also in the hospital. A young man admitted to the hospital was consuming Gutka since the age of 12, due to which he developed oral cancer.
Dr. Pragya Shukla, Head of the Oncology Department of the Institute, said that the cases of cancer caused by tobacco have increased a lot in the last few years. He said that the problem has increased due to the ease with which tobacco is available to the youth. Tobacco and alcohol are directly or indirectly responsible for almost all cancer patients coming to the hospital. Ten years ago, where cancer patients were found in the age of 40, now this age has come down to 30, which is a matter of concern. He said that if the government bans the sale of tobacco, then this problem can be solved to a great extent.
improving cancer treatment
There is a lot of improvement in the research being done in the treatment of cancer. Earlier, the patient used to die even after the treatment of cancer, but now even the cancer patient can be kept alive for a long time. Dr. Shukla explains that if treatment is started on time, cancer in the patient’s body can be controlled like diabetes. New methods and medicines are coming with time.
generic drugs will be ready
Cancer drugs are very expensive. In such a situation, the data of medicines and patients given to the patients is being prepared from the hospital. With the help of this data, the direction of preparing generic medicines for the medicines given to cancer patients will help. In this regard, Dr. Shukla said that the patient will get a lot of relief from generic medicines. We are hoping to start manufacturing generic drugs soon.