Event was organized jointly by Oncology Forum and Fortis Cancer Institute, Delhi NCR

New Delhi : At the fourth annual conference of the Oncology Forum, the largest conglomerate of oncology clinicians in Delhi/NCR, global health experts, leading oncologists called for greater adoption of technological enabled medical procedures to improve cancer treatment in India. They also emphasized on the need for collaborative efforts to bring globally acclaimed treatment solutions for patients suffering from cancer and address the clinical challenges. It is important to note that in the last 10 years, cancer has become one the leading cause of mortality and morbidity in India. It has emerged as a major public health threat. In 2020 itself, India recorded around 1.3 million new cases of cancer and the number of deaths estimated at 8.5 lakh.

The annual conclave, organised by Fortis Cancer Institute, Delhi/NCR focused on encouraging timely screening along with early diagnosis of cancer, bringing precision in treatment of newly diagnosed cancers, developing evidence-based treatment solutions, improving treatment approach and increasing access to comprehensive cancer care in India. The three-day conclave witnessed discussion on different oncological specializations i.e., breast, gynae, neuro, paediatrics, haematology, head and neck cancer, gastroenterology, uro oncology, thoracic etc.

The conclave saw virtual and physical participation from more than 500 delegates with representatives from all private & government institutes in Delhi/NCR. Several oncologists from esteemed healthcare organizations attended the conclave as eminent speakers and shared their knowledge – Dr. GK Rath, Head of National Cancer Institute, AIIMS, Delhi State Cancer Institute, Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute, Max Healthcare were present.  Eminent Doctors from Fortis Healthcare included Dr. Vinod Raina, Dr. Amit Aggarwal, Dr. A K Anand, Dr. S Hukku, Dr. Muneesh Gairola, Dr. Kishore Singh, Dr. Vineet Talwar, Dr. Gagan Gautam.  Dr. Shubham Garg from Fortis Cancer Institute was the organizing secretary of the Oncology Forum.

Dr. Bishnu Panigarhi, Head – MSOG, Fortis Healthcare said, “With greater adoption of technologically enabled medical procedures, India has made significant progress in early diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Recent developments and investments made to strengthen cancer care in India has brought hope for patients suffering from this life-threatening disease. With that said, there is an urgent need of clinical trials and R&D to establish new treatment options. The Oncology Forum back in 2013 was established with an aim to find treatment solutions, create guidelines that can ensure uniformity of care across the board, opportunities for new researches and make cancer treatment accessible and affordable to one and all.”

The theme of the conclave was ‘Evidence-Technology-Consensus’. The first day of the conclave focused on ’evidence-based discussions – where leading experts deliberated on the new evidences that were generated in the last one year and how these have helped in providing better treatment to patients.  The second day emphasized on ‘driving consensus’. The last day of the conclave took place in a hybrid format where many senior and experienced practicing oncologists discussed the new and upcoming technological advancements which will revolutionize oncology treatment in the upcoming decades. Some of the discussions revolved around making robotic surgery more acceptable & affordable to patients, how Chemotherapy can be made cheaper – by introducing Daycare Chemotherapies, introducing Indian drugs etc. Additionally, this day also observed multiple panel discussions with topics ranging from feasibility of MR Lineac to advantages of tomotherapy, from the mechanics of robotic surgery to the economics of Indian made staplers and biosimilars.