Helping people detect oral malignancies

Bahadurpura : Due to low awareness levels, illiteracy and lack of preventive screening, 60% of oral malignancies, which can be diagnosed at an early stage by proper screening, are being diagnosed in the stage 2 & 3. Making the situation worse, many vulnerable patients are also turning to traditional medicine.

According to a city-based NGO, the chances of cure and hope of survival is low for patients who cross the initial stage, risking their lives. The Helping Hand Foundation (HHF) has launched a first of its kind randomised population-based screening programme for oral cancer in some areas of Old City.

It conducted 2 screening sessions, the first at an Auto Stand in Teegal Kunta and second at a slum, near Tadban in Old City. It covered 85 adults in 2 sessions, in which 13 women and 72 men, aged between 20 and 48, were screened. From the random sample, 7 men, all aged below 30 years, were found to have Leukoplakia (white patches on the cheek) and oral sub-mucosal fibrosis (restricted opening of the mouth) both Pre-Malignancy Disorders (PMD) that can potentially lead to malignant form of Oral Cancer.

Tobacco tops the list

According to community medicine experts, the consumption of non-smoke tobacco is high in the Old City area, particularly in daily wagers and autowalas. "Although the data from National Cancer Registry is publicly not available, it is a well-established fact that the incident of head and neck cancers, mainly oral cancer is high among adults in Old City area," said Dr Akbar Ali Khan, palliative care physician at HFF.

The NGO is using Oral Health Assessment form of World Health Organisation (WHO) for adults, 2013, to capture data from the ground-level screening. All the suspected cases are being called to the dental clinic at Masjid-e-Ishaq for consultation and counselling, both of which are important steps in the prevention of oral cancer.

Suspected cases are also being encouraged to bring their friends and associates along for group counselling sessions at the Dental clinic in Majid-e- Ishaq. Most of the cases are unaware of the risk of developing full-blown malignancies. The NGO is working on giving counselling first to give up their habit of smoking, followed by Oral Prophylactics like cleaning, scaling and medication for treating the PMD in evidence-based approach.

The grass-root level of oral cancer screening program is being run under the banner of 'Free Dental Screening' to encourage people to participate. Otherwise, due to stigma attached with non smoking and tobacco chewing, many people hesitate to get screened, Khan added.

Abstinence eases screening

For many in the Old City, fasting entails abstinence from consuming pan and Ghutka, and hence, it is easy to screen such cases. Secondly many individuals are spiritually oriented in the holy month of Ramzan and counselling can motivate them to give up chewing pan or Ghutka.

"Our program, which is the first of its kind, is an important step towards mitigating the risk of developing full-blown oral malignancies. Many people are diagnosed in stage 2 and 3 and by this time the hope of full cure is drastically reduced and sufferings of the patient and his family are beyond comprehension", said Mujtaba Hasan Askari of Helping Hand Foundation.

The NGO further added that it has come across several oral cancer patients who suffer in many ways, and their quality of life gets severely compromised. Such patients not only need financial support, but also a lot of emotional support to come over the agony and pain of battling the disease.