Pollution impact: City sees cancer patients as young as 15

New Delhi: Rising air pollution and cancer, PM2.5 exposure, ground-level ozone, gastrointestinal cancers, colorectal cancer research, young cancer patients, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, cancer prevention

5 Trending Tags: Air Pollution, GI Cancer, Cancer Research, PM2.5, Healthcare Newsair pollution, including fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and ground-level ozone, has prompted calls for India-specific research into its potential contribution to cancer risk, particularly gastrointestinal (GI) cancers, experts have said.

While emerging international studies have linked long-term exposure to air pollutants with higher cancer risk, researchers have cautioned that the findings establish associations and do not prove that pollution causes GI cancers or explains the reported rise of cases among younger patients.

The issue was discussed at a two-day international conference on colorectal and other GI cancers organised by the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in collaboration with the United Kingdom's The Christie NHS Foundation Trust here on October 10-11.

Dr D S Rana, Chairman, Trust Society, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, said the international collaboration between the hospital and The Christie NHS Foundation Trust represents an important step towards strengthening medical knowledge and cooperation in cancer care.

"Cancer is a complex challenge that requires coordinated efforts across institutions, specialities and countries. By bringing experts together and encouraging the exchange of experience, we can create new opportunities to advance cancer research, improve early diagnosis and work towards better outcomes for patients," he said.

Dr Shyam Aggarwal, chairperson of the Department of Medical Oncology at the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital and the organising chairperson of the conference, said cancer prevention could no longer be discussed only in terms of tobacco, diet and lifestyle. "In our OPD, we are now seeing new GI cancer patients as young as 15 years old, which was uncommon five years ago. We must also pay attention to the environment in which people live," he said.

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