HYDERABAD: Preliminary screening for cancers conducted by MNJ Cancer Hospital in Telangana’s rural areas over the past year has revealed the need for advanced testing facilities in government hospitals and the need for more awareness as many people are hesitant to undergo testing.
Screening of patients had started last year commemorating World Cancer Day on February 4. As part of the programme, fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) tests, a kind of preliminary screening, was conducted in rural areas via a mobile cancer screening bus carrying the necessary equipment. Around 8,000 people from the districts of Khammam, Adilabad and Mahbubnagar were tested.
Patients who tested positive were advised to undergo tests like biopsy, to ascertain whether they had cancer and the possible method of treatment. Many such patients are currently taking treatment at MNJ Hospital.
Doctors from the hospital said there is hesitancy among people to undergo further tests, which is partly due to lack of such testing facilities in rural areas.
Senior oncologist at the hospital Dr C. Sairam said that area hospitals in the state do not have pathologists and radiologists, who are essential to carry out such tests. Having facilities in these hospitals would make the tests much more accessible for the rural population, he said.
Another issue doctors faced in rural areas was the dilemma of women, when it came to tests for breast cancer.
Dr Sairam pointed out that public fears have been reduced, thanks to awareness programmes that are being conducted at regular intervals. He said generally, the prevalence of cancer was slightly more in urban areas because those people are more exposed to pollution and preservatives.
