Transforming India’s approach to cancer care
In India, a country with a vast population and a diverse socio-economic fabric, healthcare remains fraught with challenges including disparities in access. These socio-economic disparities are deep, and
Cancer
-
Kochi tops the list in nation-wide obesity survey
Kochi: Almost half of the Kochi population is overweight, reveals a 11-city survey on obesity-related trends, putting the city on top of the list. The AC Nielsen survey conducted for a medical company found 46% of the people in the city above their ideal weight, out of which 13% were found to be obese and 7% morbidly obese. The prevalence of obesity is equally high among men and women (20%) and it is well above the rate in the other cities where it is 8% for men and 11% for women. Morbid obesity was also found to be the highest in Kochi. Delhi, Ludhiana, Jaipur, Mumbai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Nagpur, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad were the other cities surveyed.
-
Cancer incidence in state not so alarming, claims survey
Contrary to the general impression, the incidence of cancer is not so alarming in Punjab, claims a door-to-door survey conducted recently by the state Health Department. The study covered 2,68,91,585 persons
-
Residents up in arms against cell towers
In a first-of-its-kind initiative, resident associations tired of complaining to the government about radiations from cell towers have now decided to take matters into their own hands: they are going for
-
Citizens launch dust-free Varanasi campaign
VARANASI: A group of citizens started a campaign aimed at ridding Varanasi of the dust that is finding its way into the bodies of lakhs of people living here. The campaign was launched at Lanka, Varanasi.
-
JNU decoding answer to cancer
Scientists Pinpoint Gene That Can Inhibit Tumour Growth New Delhi: There is great excitement at Jawaharlal Nehru University’s School of Biotechnology. Scientists here claim to have found that the SCO2 gene has potential tumour-suppressing qualities and that it can be a treatment for different kinds of cancer. Their research paper has been published in the current issue of the journal, Molecular and Cellular Biology.
-
Drug pricing: Govt decides to bypass three patents
The government's move to issue compulsory licences (CLs) for three more patented cancer drugs is a jolt to multinational pharmaceutical companies. The plan is to issue CLs for Trastuzumab (or Herceptin, used for treating breast cancer), Ixabepilone (used for chemotherapy in breast cancer treatment) and Dasatinib (or Sprycel, for leukaemia). These cost an average of $3,000-4,500 (Rs 1.64-2.45 lakh) for a month's treatment. Last March, the Hyderabad-based Natco Pharma had won the first ever CL, to manufacture its generic version of Bayer's patent-protected anti-cancer drug, Nexavar. With the licence, Natco sold the drug at Rs 8,880 for a pack of 120 tablets, a month's therapy, as against Rs 2.8 lakh, the cost at which Bayer sells Nexavar.
-
Beijing under cloud as air pollution threat sparks emergency response
BEIJING ordered government vehicles off the roads as part of an emergency response to ease air pollution that has smothered China's capital for the past three days, while warning the smog will persist
-
Compulsory Licence Likely for 3 Cancer Drugs
Each of the 3 drugs— Dasatinib Trastuzumab & Ixabepilone—costs 1L for a month’s dose The government has appointed a panel to look into issues related to compulsory licensing of drugs and whether cheaper versions of cancer medicines Trastuzumab, Ixabepilone and Dasatinib can be launched under the provision, a person with knowledge of the development said. According to the person, the health ministry has sent its proposal regarding compulsory licensing for the three drugs to the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), which in turn has sought the opinion of the department of pharmaceuticals. Srikant Jena, Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilisers, however, denied having received any note.
-
2 Bathinda villages shed cancer stigma
Jhajjal and Giana villages in the Talwandi Sabo block of the district are now free of the cancer stigma with the spotlight shifting to other places following the ongoing statewide cancer survey. Owing to the stigma, it had become an uphill task for residents of the two villages to find matrimonial alliances. Earlier, almost every household in the two villages had at least one cancer patient. But according to the latest cancer surveillance project report, there have been 12 cancer deaths in Jhajjal and four in Giana during the past five years and eight residents of Jhajjal and seven of Giana are undergoing treatment.
-
Draft action plan for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases 2013–2020
WHO has developed a global monitoring framework to enable global tracking of progress in preventing and controlling major noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) - cardiovascular disease, cancer, chronic lung