'Tobacco addicts should have annual tests for cancer'
AHMEDABAD: On the eve of National Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Day, experts said that people who cannot quit tobacco should at least undergo an annual clinical and health exam to safeguard themselves from cancer.
Dr Kaustubh Patel, consultant head and neck cancer specialist at HCG Cancer Center, said that just like diabetes and high blood pressure are risk factors for heart disease; tobacco consumption should be considered a risk factor for oral cancer too. Regular medical test should be conducted to safeguard oneself from cancer.
Dr Patel said that only five per cent of the tobacco users are able to give up tobacco, that too on a short-term basis. Long term, only one per cent users are able to completely give up tobacco. "Considering this dismal scenario, it is advised that people who have used tobacco for less than five years should undergo annual oral medical exam and those who have used it for more than five years should undergo oral medical check-up once in six months to prevent cancer as well as its early detection," he said.
Dr Patel said there are five pre-cancerous stages in oral cancer and if regular check-ups are done, pre-cancer stage can be treated with lasers and malignancy can be avoided. Once a pre-cancer stage is detected, most people then quit.
Meanwhile, an advanced laser technology which treats oral cancers with higher precision named Trans Oral Laser Surgery (TOLS) was inaugurated at the HCG. This can treat cancer endoscopically without any need to put an incision on the neck.
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