GUWAHATI, July 28 - City-based Dr B Borooah Cancer Institute (BBCI) observed the World Head and Neck Cancer Day on Saturday with a day-long programme.
The event started with a head and neck cancer screening and awareness camp at Fatasil GMC Old Colony.
Dr Ashok Kumar Das, professor of head and neck oncology at BBCI, conducted the awareness and screening camp.
This was followed by a �Survivors� Programme� in the auditorium of the BBCI.
The �Survivors� Programme� brought together head and neck cancer survivors who had earlier undergone treatment at the institute. The objective was to create awareness on the paramount importance of early detection for its cure.
The welcome address of the �Survivors� Programme� was delivered by Dr Amal Chandra Kataki, director of BBCI.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Kataki said head and neck cancer, like mouth and throat cancers, occur mostly due to the consumption of tobacco and alcohol, indoor air pollution due to the burning of wood for cooking, and also on account of vehicular emissions.
�The incidence of head and neck cancers is high in our region because of the higher prevalence of tobacco consumption in the State in particular and the entire North East in general. Furthermore, awareness is required among the general public so that cancers can be cured if detected early,� said Dr Kataki.
According to Dr Tashnin Rahman, professor and head of head and neck oncology at BBCI, head and neck cancer is the leading cause of death and disability in the North East.
�Union for International Cancer Control has signed the 2014 proclamation and extended its support to the International Federation of Head and Neck Oncology Societies� (IFHNOS) campaign to raise awareness and motivate international action against head and neck cancer,� said Dr Rahman.
Meanwhile, BBCI also organised a continued medical education (CME) programme on haematological malignancies yesterday.
The CME was fully funded by the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), Government of India.
On the occasion, �Life Time Achievement Awards for Outstanding Contribution in Cancer Care� was presented to three prominent cancer experts from Assam, Meghalaya and Manipur.
Dr Gazi G Ahmed, former director of BBCI, was presented the award for his contribution to cancer care in Assam. Professor Th Tomcha Singh, former head of the department of radiotherapy in the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences, Imphal, and Dr Judita Syiemlieh, senior consultant in radiation oncology at Shillong Civil Hospital, were awarded for their contribution in the field of oncology in Manipur and Meghalaya, respectively.
Dr Kataki, director of BBCI, said every year more than 300 children and adults with leukaemia and lymphoma are being treated at the institute.
�Updating skills and knowledge in the management of these types of cancers is important, and it will help us achieve higher standards of care for our patients. The DAE has sponsored three doctors from each of the North-Eastern States to attend the CME programme to disseminate information about recent advances in the treatment of leukaemia and lymphomas in the respective states,� he said.
Dr Bahusahab Bagal and Dr Gaurav Narula from Tata Memorial Centre in Mumbai, and Dr Reena Nair and Dr Neeraj Arora from Tata Medical Center in Kolkata were the guest faculties on the occasion.
