The Vice President of India, M. Venkaiah Naidu has said that the public-private partnership can bring down cancer treatment costs in India. He was addressing a gathering after inaugurating Omega Hospitals, in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh today. The Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Shri N. Chandrababu Naidu, the Minister for Health and Medical Education, Andhra Pradesh, Dr. Kamineni Sreenivas and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.The Vice President said that cancer is a silent killer and the treatment works best when cancers are detected early. Lung cancer screening is recommended for chronic and heavy smokers, he added.
Vice President outlined seven early warning signs of cancer by the mnemonic CAUTION:
Change in bowel or bladderhabits.
A sore that does not heal.
Unusual bleeding or discharge.
Thickening or lump in thebreast, testicles, or elsewhere.
Indigestion or difficultyswallowing.
Obvious change in the size, colour, shape, or thickness of a wart, mole, or mouthsore.
Nagging cough or hoarseness.
The Vice President said that the cancer management can be prohibitively expensive at times and out-of-reach of the common man. He further said that for mandatory screening of people, particularly those who are at risk, as early detection can help cure some of the cancers. There should not only be greater awareness on the need for regular health check-ups, he added.He also suggested people to adopt healthy lifestyle and asked everyone one to live with nature to avoid major health problems.