Ludhiana, March 28
“There may be more number of patients with colorectal (intestinal) cancer in India than in any Western country. Though our incidence may be six to seven cases per lakh as compared to 30 and above per lakh in the west, we should remember that our population is more than one billion.” This information was given by Dr Rajeev Kapoor, Colorectal Surgeon, at the Christian Medical College and Hospital (CMCH), while addressing the Oncology CME here yesterday.
The world over, surgeons performing surgery for rectal cancer have been retrained in performing TME, a special technique to reduce the recurrence rate. The TME has helped surgeons to improve the overall survival, bringing down the recurrence rate from up to 5 per cent to below 7 per cent”
Dr Kapoor observed that modern techniques applied to treatment of rectal cancer, enabled the surgeons to avoid a permanent diversion of fecal matter in the form of a bag on the abdominal wall. This involved performing TME and use of staples. Though only 10 per cent of all patients of rectal cancer should be having a permanent bag, yet almost 60 per cent of the patients with this disease in India had to live with a permanent bag.
Dr Kapoor, who has been trained in colorectal surgery from Australia, had joined the CMCH last year to start colorectal surgical services here.
