Men’s Cancer Awareness Initiative Launched by Tata Memorial Centre
Mumbai: Doctors at Tata Memorial Centre (TMC) are urging men to raise awareness about their cancers, which have been steadily increasing in recent years. The centre has launched an initiative called ‘MenCan’ to address this issue.
The initiative aims to create awareness and raise funds for patients who cannot afford treatment. It will also provide psycho-social counselling, including job assistance for cancer survivors.
According to Dr Sripad Banavali, director (Academics) at TMC, the hospital receives 1,100 fresh cases of prostate cancer and about 250 to 300 cases each of testicular and penile cancers every year.
Dr Gagan Prakash, chief of the uro-oncology division, said that many men are hesitant to seek medical help due to misconceptions about men’s cancers. "Men do not come forward about these cancers because they are afraid of how society will treat them," he said.
In contrast, in developed countries, the majority of men with these cancers arrive in the early stages, and the survivorship is over 90% for testicular cancer, according to Dr Amit Joshi, head of medical oncology at ACTREC, the Tata Memorial Centre’s hospital in Kharghar.
The MenCan initiative will focus on creating awareness and raising funds for patients who cannot afford treatment. It will also have an arm for psycho-social counselling, including helping survivors with getting jobs.
The initiative is part of the centre’s ongoing efforts to improve cancer care and awareness in India.
Reference : https://health.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/hospitals/mencan-initiative-for-cancer-awareness/120650884
