The risk of head and neck cancer is increasing rapidly in India, is quick treatment possible with AI?

Like the entire world, cases of head and neck cancer are increasing rapidly in India too. The most worrying thing is that this is the most deprived section of the Indian society i.e. those who do not have much comfort and facilities. They are the ones who are getting this cancer the most. Especially among the workers and laborers who use a lot of tobacco, this problem is growing in a very severe form.

Workers and laborers are getting most of these cancers

 A program on head and neck cancer was organized by ‘Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute and Research Center (RGCIRC). The topic of this program was ‘Head and Neck Cancer: Bridging the Gap from Cure to Survivorship’. In which the need for early detection of the disease was emphasized in the 22nd edition of ‘RGCon’ ‘RGCon2024’ organized on this topic. 
 

Head and neck cancer cases in India are 30%

Head and neck cancer accounts for 30% of all cancers in India. In the coming time, it is estimated that there will be an increase of 50% by the year 2040. RGCIRC Chairman Shri Rakesh Chopra said that since 60% of the laborers consume tobacco in some form or the other. Therefore, the biggest danger in the society is on this class. Due to this, preventive measures are very important. And early detection of the disease is also important, because 80% of cancer cases can be cured if detected in the early stages.

Underlining the role of technology in curing head and neck cancer, Shri D.S., CEO, RGCIRC said: Negi underlined the tremendous impact of AI. AI algorithms identify cancer patterns very quickly. Due to which the accuracy of disease diagnosis increases and time is also reduced. With this new technology, a lot of progress is being seen in the early detection of the disease and the possibility of recovery of the patient.

250 faculty and 1000 delegates from across the world participated in RGCon 2024 to discuss technological advancements in cancer treatment. Dr. (Prof.) Sudhir Kumar Rawal, Medical Director of Oncology Services at RGCIRC and Chief of Genito Euro, underlined the role of the conference in promoting research and innovation. As an educational institution, RGCIRC places great emphasis on research. At the same time, RGCon works as a platform to identify and adopt new trends emerging in the field of cancer treatment.
 

Prof. Director of National Cancer Institute and Department of Otolaryngology, AIIMS, Delhi. Alok Thakkar praised the contribution of RGCIRC in the field of cancer care and called it a ray of hope. This institute, established by a group of social workers, has set commendable standards in the field of cancer treatment. Dr. Mudit Aggarwal, Unit Head and Senior Consultant, Head and Neck Oncology at RGCIRC, expressed his gratitude to the global medical society for participating in the conference. He said that this year’s conference has helped establish collaboration between experts in surgery, radiation, medical oncology and pathology, which is expected to lead to significant advancements in patient care.

Describing head and neck cancer as a problem for Asia, Dr. A., Director of Surgical Oncology at RGCIRC. Of. Diwan said that this is a disease of the poor. The main reason for which is consumption of smokeless tobacco and smoking. About 1.5 million new cases of cancer are reported every year in India. In the year 2022, about 3000 cases were reported in RGCIRC, which was 19% of all cancer cases. But, less than 30% of these patients underwent surgery, because our focus is on multidimensional treatment.  

RGCon 2024 saw some key sessions on advanced treatment modalities like proton therapy and brachytherapy as well as the use of AI in head and neck cancer care. Apart from this, notable innovations like Indian Surgical Robot, SSI Mantra were showcased along with discussions on effective reconstructive systems and facial reanimation techniques.

The team organizing RGCon 2024 includes Organizing Secretary Dr. Mudit Agarwal along with Unit Head and Senior Consultant, Head and Neck Oncology, Dr. Munish Gairola, Director, Radiation Oncology, Dr. Sumit Goyal, Associate Director, Medical Oncology, Dr. Rajat Saha, Senior Consultant, Medical Oncology, Dr. Sunil Pasricha, Senior Consultant Pathology and Dr. Vikas Arora, Consultant, Surgical Oncology.

What is RGCIRC?

Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute and Research Centre, established in the year 1996, is counted among the major centers in Asia for cancer treatment. Where specialized treatment is done using state-of-the-art technologies under the supervision of renowned super specialists. Spread over approximately 2 lakh square feet and with a current capacity of 500+ beds at Rohini along with another facility at Niti Bagh, RGCIRC is one of the largest tertiary cancer care centers in the continent. With a track record of successful treatment of more than Three and a Half Lakh (3.5) patients, the institute has best-in-class technologies such as Full Body Robotic Surgery, CyberKnife, TomoTherapy,  True Beam (Next Generation Image Guided Radiation Therapy). , Intra-operative brachytherapy, PET-MRI fusion and others are available.

So far RGCIRC has impacted the lives of more than 2.75 lakh patients. RGCIRC has 14 state-of-the-art equipped modular operation theaters with three stage air filtration and gas scavenging systems and 3 minor operation theaters for day-care surgeries. The institute has been consistently declared among the best oncology hospitals in India and has received several awards. This is the only institute in India which has 3 robots for cancer surgery.