Written By: Shraddha Rupavate | Updated : February 24, 2015 10:16 AM IST
Cancer of the mouth and throat are the most common cancers in Indian males, because of the high incidence of smoking, chewing tobacco and the widespread use of pan masala. In fact, the diasporic Indian population has even led to an increase of cancer of the mouth in the Western world!
As far as the treatment for head and neck cancers is concerned, radiotherapy remains an integral part of the treatment, having the ability to destroy the cancer in this site thus curing cancer. The probability of cure is excellent, with more than 90 % early vocal cord cancer patients and up to 70 % of stage III and IV A patients getting cured. But are you aware about the latest advancements and effective options in cancer treatment?
Modern radiation techniques have led to a dramatic improvement in the quality of life of cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy. According to Dr Sapna Nangia, Oncologist at Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, New Delhi a technique called Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy (IMRT) that has been used for more than a decade has resulted in this dramatic change. This technique allows the radiation oncologist to target the cancer accurately and yet reduce the radiation dose to normal structures adjacent to the cancer.
Dr Nangia feels strongly that in the interest of patients suffering from mouth and throat cancer, radiotherapy, whether being used alone or in combination with surgery or chemotherapy, should always be in the form of Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy. She feels that primary physicians, dental surgeon and ENT surgeons, who are often the people who first diagnose cancer of the mouth and throat, need to be aware of this advanced form of radiotherapy, so that they can guide their patients correctly. The general public, too, should be aware of the latest advances in the field of cancer treatment, a field in which rapid advances are taking place and which are available in India at the same time as they are in the western hemisphere.
Dr Nangia, who has been working in the field of IMRT in mouth and throat cancer for more than a decade and has vast experience in this field, says that in contrast, patients treated with IMRT quickly regain normal taste and salivary function and have a good quality of life. They are also less likely to have dental problems following radiotherapy. Since dose to all normal structures is reduced with this treatment, there are fewer blisters during treatment, and less chance of scarring or damage to the jaw bone.
You may also like to read:
For more articles on cancer, visit our cancer section. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for all the latest updates! For daily free health tips, sign up for our newsletter. And to join discussions on health topics of your choice, visit our forum.
