39 lakh undergo cancer screening across state

Vijayawada: Health minister Y Satya Kumar Yadav said 39 lakh people across the state have undergone cancer screening under the Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) Control and Prevention Programme 4.0. The initiative aims at detecting cancer and other major ailments at an early stage, he said in a statement on Tuesday.

The minister said oral, cervical and breast cancer screenings are being conducted for women, while men are being screened for oral cancer. Among those screened so far, 9,963 women showed suspected symptoms of breast cancer, 22,861 women for cervical cancer, and 26,639 individuals for oral cancer.

He explained that these suspected cases are being referred to the Primary Health Centre (PHC) doctors for further examination. Those requiring specialised care are then sent to the teaching hospitals in their respective districts, where oncologists conduct detailed evaluations to confirm diagnoses and begin treatment. For cancer treatment, a special OP room with the number ‘222’ has been designated in these hospitals, he added. Comparing the new phase of the programme to the previous one (NCD 3.0), the minister said that the NCD 4.0 initiative, launched on September 17, has shown positive progress in screening efficiency and public participation.

Out of the 4.18 crore population aged above 18 years in the state, about 2.92 crore people were screened under the previous NCD 3.0 phase. However, as the results in identifying cancer patients were found to be below expectations, minister Satya Kumar directed the department to intensify cancer screening efforts once again. He also stressed the need to increase public awareness and conduct refresher training programmes for healthcare workers.

In the updated NCD 4.0 format, the questionnaire used to identify potential cancer cases has been simplified from 210 questions to just 28. Oncologists have been roped in to train Community Health Officers (CHOs) and Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs).

To improve participation, MEPMA resource persons and village organization assistants under SERP are being involved in mobilization efforts. The department also launched a special campaign urging women to undergo cervical cancer tests, highlighting the message: “Take a small step for your family. Visit your health centre. Cervical cancer can be cured if detected early.”

Renowned oncologist Dr Nori Dattatreyudu has also provided expert advice in framing the guidelines and methodologies for the new cancer screening programme, the minister added.