Cancer is not a single word but it has a huge impact the life not only of cancer patients but whole family too. Globally the number of cancer patient increase day by day. Cancer remains a significant scientific, clinical and societal challenge. This gap analysis has reviewed and critically assessed enduring issues and new challenges emerging from recent research, and proposes strategies for translating solutions into practice.
Currently 1.7 million people globally were diagnosed with cancer and there were 6.3 million people alive who had been diagnosed with cancer in last one year. In countries with high and medium human development index (HDI) an increase in cancer has been observed.
If we talk about one state of India, In Bihar approx10,0000 new patients coming every year. If you count the numbers of the cancer patient in this state, probably it's around 2.5 lakh. There is a huge bulk of cancer patients and people are coming to the downtrodden area from poor economic areas.
Bihar followed by Vaishali, Bhojpur, Begusarai, Muzaffarpur and Patna districts have the highest incidence area of cancer in the state. Mahavir Cancer Sansthan (MCS), which also sends its figures to the Union government as part of National Cancer Registration Programme, has come out with a new research saying over 50, 000 deaths are caused by cancer every year in Bihar, while over 80,000 new cancer patients come up every year in the state.
Problems related to cancer treatment in Bihar
There are two problems of cancer which I have witnessed from the last 3-4 decades. One is the incidence of cancer in India which is very high, particularly in Bihar state. The second most complicated problem is that most of the patients who are coming to the hospital are coming in advanced stage because they don’t know that they are suffering from cancer and wecan only give various types of treatment to prolong the lives of those patients.
Most of the patients who are coming in early stage are not from the affordable sections of the society. They can't afford to have the cancer treatment. We have to go a long way and we have to change the scenario.
The patients is unable to find out the right kind of support in their area, they destitute to adopt local treatment from “Bangali Doctors”, they unable to get right treatment in right time for cancer and finally die.
Cancer centres in Bihar
In Bihar there are very less number of cancer centres as far as treatment is concerned. If the Bihar government takes up these things in their priorities then it will definitely have an impact on the cancer patients and the general public. Right now we don't have any well equipped centre in Bihar. We have 10 medical colleges in Bihar but hardly one or two medical colleges have the cancer department and that is also not well equipped.
We should have at least 4-5 cancer centres which are very much well equipped in this state. Any person who goes to these centres should not be referred outside the state for treatment. People should know and believe that we have the centres where they can get the best treatment. Probably in a year or two, we will be able to develop such type of centres which should provide every type of treatment to the cancer patient's right from extensive screening programme to palliative care. I am sure that if these centre come up, it will change the scenario of the state as far as the cancer management is concerned.
Because of that the below poverty line (BPL) patients are unable to bare high cost for treatment and in government hospital the patients did not get the treatment in particular time period when they actual need the treatment, and finally the patients died only because they are unable to pay high cost of treatment.