India Accounts For 12% Of Children Affected By Cancer In World: Paediatric Oncologist

Bhubaneswar: India accounts for 12% of around four lakh children across the world detected with cancer every year, Dr. Saroj Panda, paediatric oncologist at the Institute of Medical Sciences (IMS) and SUM Hospital here said on Friday.

Speaking at a programme organised to observe the International Childhood Cancer Day at the hospital, Dr Panda said, “Approximately 700 children brought to IMS and SUM Hospital for treatment during the last five years had been found to be suffering from cancer. Of them, 350 children have recovered so far following treatment.” The International Childhood Cancer Day is observed across the world on
February 15 every year.

Stating that 95% of cancer patients worldwide were adults with the rest five
per cent children, Dr Panda said in most cases, the disease found in infants were caused due to genetic factors. “However, early diagnosis and good treatment can help the child defeat cancer,” he said.

Most of the cancers found in children were leukemia, tumours in the brain, kidney or liver as also bone sarcoma, Dr Panda said while advising parents to make sure that their child live a healthy life, maintained the correct body weight, do regular exercise and eat lot of green vegetables and fruits. “It is important that children should stay away from junk food,” he added.

Prof Pusparaj Samantasinhar, medical superintendent of IMS and SUM Hospital, Head of the Pediatrics department, Prof Mamata Devi Mohanty, Prof Mrutyunjay Das of Pediatrics department, Dr Soumya Surath Panda of Medical Oncology department and Dr Nirmal Pradhan of Pediatric Oncology department were present.