'Oral Cancer Prevalent Among North Indians'
Thursday, 15 December 2011, 17:37 IST
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Agra: Blaming modern lifestyle for increase in cancer cases, a renowned oncologist today claimed here that a large number of incidences of oral cancers were being reported from north India. "Different types of cancer were seen affecting people in different parts of the country, for instance large number of tobacco related cancers were reported from northern India, specially oral cancer," said nuclear medicine and cancer expert Prof D K Hazra, while addressing a large audience at the school of chemical science of St John's College Agra. Cancer could be hereditary because of the transmission of diseased cells through genes, he said. In reply to a question from the audience, Prof Hazra said, "Cancer could be hereditary because of the transmission of disease in certain situations." He said he had been researching on cancer, and eating habits could reduce the incidence of cancer. He said he had been researching on cancer and its treatment since 1985, first in London and now with Dr V M Katoch, Director of the Indian council of Medical Research. He said both he and Dr Katoch had been pressing for the setting up of a National therapeutic biomolecule centre in the country so that cheaper anti-cancer drugs could be manufactured in the country. Prof Hazra said that while research on cancer was on the right lines, he would like a chain of clinical centers to be set up in the country. Speaking on the subject of the relationship of chemistry to medicine, he said that from ancient times, chemistry had led the way to medicine. In modern times, most Noble Laureates in chemistry had pioneered medical research and shown ways of tackling disease.
Source: PTI