November 2021: Lung Cancer Awareness Month
Faridabad : Fortis Escorts Hospital, Faridabad is the first hospital in Faridabad to introduce the latest, state-of-the-art technology in the field of interventional pulmonology, the Cryo technique. The technology will enable biopsies of endobronchial tumors (tumors inside the windpipe). and will be crucial in improving clinical outcomes for lung cancer patients. The technique has been introduced under the aegis of Dr. Ravi Shekhar Jha, Additional Director and Consultant, Pulmonology, Fortis Escorts Hospital Faridabad.
Dr. Ravi Shekhar Jha, Additional Director and HOD, Pulmonology, Fortis Escorts Hospital, Faridabad said, “The pulmonology OPD has been witnessing an influx in the number of lung cancer patients. Now we see approximately 10-12 newly diagnosed cases of lung cancer every month. Whereas 5 years back, we used to have around 4 cases per month. The upsurge is being seen in the younger population. Cryo-technology helps in early diagnosis and palliative care in later stages of cancer also. The minimally invasive procedure is used to remove larger cancerous outgrowths in the lung using a freezing process that prevents bleeding which occurs with a normal biopsy. This is one of the safest procedures for tumor debulking. Other equally important roles of Cryo involve diagnosis of ILD (Interstitial lung disease), Sarcoidosis (an inflammatory disease that affects one or more organs), Lymphoma (cancer that begins in infection-fighting cells of the immune system), removal of foreign body and blood clots from lung, recanalization of an obstructive tracheal and/or bronchial tumor, and diagnosis and treatment of Carcinoid tumor (a tumor that often begins in the stomach).
Dr. Ajay Dogra, Facility Director, Fortis Healthcare, said, “As a leading healthcare delivery provider, we are constantly upgrading the technology used in the treatment of Non-Communicable and Communicable Diseases. The last few years have seen an increase in lung and other cancer cases due to increasing pollution and other factors such as unhealthy lifestyles, lack of exercise, rise in tobacco use, and imbalanced diets. By bringing in advanced technology in cancer care, we are trying to make maximum efforts for the timely and accurate detection of various types of cancer cases to improve treatment outcomes.”
According to WHO, Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for nearly 10 million deaths in 2020. The most common causes of cancer death in 2020 were lung counting nearly about 1.80 million deaths. Around one-third of deaths from cancer are due to tobacco use, high body mass index, alcohol use, low fruit and vegetable intake, and lack of physical activity. With timely diagnosis today using advanced methods, cancer treatment can have better outcomes with a marked reduction.