[Health] Notes from Cancer By Dr B S Srinath from Sri Shankara Cancer Hospital & Resarch Center

by mynk on Nov 24, 2011      Category: Health & Disability Tags: npsbm

In the next 9 years incidence of cancer will double.

In 2010 6L american had cancer 70L died all over the globe

In USA, 1 in 3 women and 1 in 2 men will develop cancer in their life time

1/4th of the deaths in US are due to cancer. 15% over the globe

In some nations cancer will surpass heart diseases

Cancer is a life style disease - US has higher incidence than developing countries. Tobacco or Alcohol

15% of school children are already smoking in India

30% of students in college are taking pan masala

Tobacco contains nicotine (brain stimulator but it tires it also) and along with it go a group benzathrines - HCs that cause cancer. 54 benzathrines in Tobbaco - isolated - each one capable of causing cancer. When you have so many of them chance of getting a cancer is much higher.

Pan Masala is a recent origin about 20 yrs ago. Small pieces of tobacco from cigarettes was told sold to companies for insecticides - Tobacco Dust. Someone found it an idea to add menthol to it and sandal power with sugar and elaichi, areca and they had the pan masala. A very potential carcinogen. When it sits in the inner lining (mucous) it causes fibrosis. Teeth get stained, inflexible tongue, mouth, etc - verucous cancer - oral cancer I think. Chuna causes food pipe cancer. Pics of very gory oral cancer shown due to chewing of tobacco.

Alcohol - universal solvent used in pharmaceutical companies, etc. If one drinks along with smoking/tobacco they make use of the benthrazines completely which is inviting a lot of trouble - urinary cancer, oral cancer, etc. 

Hepatitis B is not for tuberculosis alone can cause liver cancer.

HIV infections brings down the immune system of the body, increasing the cancer incidence - lymphoma

Uterine cervix cancer due to flavilo virus. Studies show that infection leads to cancer - predisposing factor.

Hereditary? Out of 100 only 7 are hereditary. 93% are not. Number of cancers that are hereditary is very low - a cancer of eye for example. Any hereditary cancer poses lot of problems. A couple should not have children - etc. Eg Hereditary intestine cancer. You can take out the intestine of the person but what about their decendants? People don't wish to learn about such conditions. Adoption to the rescue again!

Diet - cause of cancer - wrong diet - cancer causing diet or not eating diet which avoids cancer.

Pickles in a jar only remove it occasionally - preservative is salt - when it is less - fungi (white layer) is produced which causes oesophagus (foodpipe) cancer. In Japan, Chinese food pipe and stomach cancer is high. It is because they eat pickled fish. Salt turns into - Sodium nitrite formed is a carcinogen. Barbecued meat has smoke absorbed which is a carcinogen - so if u take boiled meat it is better.

Vitamins A, B, C & D, Trace minerals - seleniums, manganese, zinc, copper, etc. stabilize humans cells and lining of cells. When deficient increase chances of cancer.

We can cure up to 60% of the cancer. People still think cancer is synonymous with death. Why me attitude?

Effects of Cancer -

* Late diagnosis (esp so in India)
* Disbelief
* Anger
* Depression
* Denial

Spread of Cancer (Metastasis)
If breast cancer spreads to lungs it behaves like breast cancer. It is difficult to deal with it. You need to treat both primary and metastatic side. In stage 3 or 4 costs are in lakhs and cure rates are less than 30%

How to play?    "It is not whether to play but how to play" from a book written by a guy who suffered from Lung Cancer. You have been dealt a bad card so play smart! :)

"Don't tell my family. I just want to die" One example - a man has 2 daughters - 4-5 lakhs in gratuity - the daughters are 18 & 23 and studying. Don't want to get treated - let them use the money.

Modes of Treatment

1. Surgery is the main treatment - you need to prove the diagnosis. Remove of the lumps sometimes the treatment itself is removal.
2. Radiation Therapy - linear accelerators and constrict the size of lumps/tumors. E.g Radioactive iodine settles in thyroid gland helps treat the thyroid gland cancer. Iridium, Gallium, Strontium, etc.
3. Chemotherapy - intravenous or through mouth medication. It is used to treat disseminated  cancer spreading across the whole body. You can burn (radiation) the body or surgery then u use chemotherapy. Cancer cells are gluttons take away oxygen and multiply very fast, so they are not very strong so the chemical substances can harm them more. If the tumor is growing rapidly then this helps.

4. Rehabilitation

Cancer is curable...

Society can't afford cancer patients - too expensive, incidence is higher in productive age 44-55 years in India (mostly bread winners) 60-70 in US.

Going through cancer is like a penance - the family can't support - they get exhausted. If they bring the patient to blr - can't stay so they go back to bring money, they don't turn up, patient lie untreated for the lack of money.

I know one kid whose brother was mortgaged for his treatment. We tried to help the family but eventually the funds burnt out and we had to back out...

"With fire gold shines better" - Rigveda

Understand cancer and you can win over it!

Don't smoke and drink, eat well, etc. You can save several Crores for the nation.

Symptons -

Early singals of cancer - very vague -
1. Persistent cough - it could be lung cancer
2. Losing weight - unexplained loss of weight
3. If there is a mole becomes big and itchy - sign of cancer
4. Unexplained bleeding nose, gums, menstrual flow, intestines, etc.
5. Difficulty in swallowing food etc.

You know ur health best. If something is amiss then u shud take care. If you don't feel like eating well then... Have an annual check up with ur Family Doctor - thorough checkup. Health takes the last priority in India with ourselves and the govt. We do fire fighting. People ignore warning signals.

It is very difficult to detect as the body does not recognize cancer as external  - alien body. Cancer is within so...

Stages - if the lump is less than 2 cms long in breast or lining or similar places it is stage 1 mostly but it varies.

Stage does not really matter. When clinical assessment - it might be stage 2 but by the time treatment has been done what stage it is really impt not the earlier one.

Each cancer is a different disease in itself.

PET CT scan - Positron Emitron Tomographine - mixture of glucose and F18 is easily picked up by cancer cells (as they are the hungry lot). F18 is capture on a screen on radiation and you can find the infected organ/parts. If it is bigger than .5 cm than this is not as effective a detection.

Stem cells are useful. When a child is born do preserve the cord blood - contains a lot of stem cells. These are useful so might be a good idea. In future if the child has any disease then it will help. Also, it can help anybody who match possibly parents. Stem cells become parts of body.

Dr Srinath is raising funds for a center to do research and treating of economically challenged community - http://shankaracancerfoundation.org/donors.html

For additional details please contact:


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mynk's picture

A nice site for bone marrow donors -


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