Diagnosed with throat cancer in 2009, Nalini Satyanarayana had lost her voice box and her ability to speak. However, a timely surgery and her spirited attitude helped the septuagenarian win the battle against cancer.
The two-day CANCON 2019, started on July 27th 2019, at Royal Orchid Resort & Convention Centre, Bengaluru, brought together India’s finest healthcare professionals in otolaryngology, maxillofacial and general surgery, surgical, radiation and medical oncology, pain and palliative medicine, speech and swallowing pathology, and other practitioners with special interest in head and neck oncology.
This year’s theme was ‘Consensus Guidelines in Management of Oral Cancer – Resection, Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Research’. Oral cancer is counted among the leading cancers in India, accounting for the maximum number of cases in the world. CANCON 2019 had focused scientific discussions on developing consensus guidelines to balance oncological outcomes with functional rehabilitation.
Speaking at the inauguration of premier academic event, Dr Vikram Kekatpure, Organizing Chairman and Senior Consultant at Cytecare Hospitals, said, “India accounts for the highest number of oral cancer cases in the world – about 80,000 every year. In order to fight this epidemic, healthcare experts need to share their knowledge, discuss and collaborate for better outcomes. CANCON 2019 aims to help facilitate focused discussions on resection techniques, advances in reconstruction, rehabilitation and research. We look forward to two days of engaging deliberations and new learnings.”
Dr Girish Shetkar, organizing secretary and Consultant at Cytecare Hospitals further added, “The success of the previous two editions of CANCON fortified our belief in the need for such academic conversations with cancer experts across India. The pace of research and new developments in the field demand that we need to be in sync with the latest advances in radiation techniques, targeted therapy, molecular markers, etc. Only then can we offer our patients the best functional outcomes.”
CANCON 2019 was strategically structured to enable maximum interaction in the form of panel discussions, debates and talks among healthcare experts specialising in oral cancer. The topics included application of optical augmentation in oral surgery, surgical approaches in advanced oral cavity cancer, management of advanced tongue cancer, reconstruction of lip and commissure, palliative care in oral cancer, prevention and management of osteoradionecrosis, guidelines for optimising dental care and rehabilitation in oral cancer, strategies to reduce radiation toxicity and management, to name some.
CANCON 2019 was organised in association with The Foundation for Head and Neck Oncology, Association of Otolaryngologists of India, Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons of India, Academia of Head and Neck Oncology of Karnataka, Indian Dental Association, Bangalore Chapter and Indian Medical Association, Yelahanka Branch.
The symposium offered a noteworthy platform for cancer survivors to share their inspiring stories. Rashmi Vaid (tongue cancer survivor), Ravi Prakash Vaid (papillary carcinoma thyroid cancer survivor), Srinivasan (lower jaw and cheek cancer survivor), and Venkatlakshmamma (oral cancer survivor) reiterated the importance of self-belief and seeking medical assistance in time.
India’s first organ-based, site-focused oncology care private hospital, Cytecare Hospitals (erstwhile Medela Hospitals) represents care at the cellular level. With a vision of creating a network of patient-centric, comprehensive organ-based cancer care hospitals in India, Cytecare launched its flagship centre, a 150-bed organ-site focussed cancer hospital, in November 2016 at Yelahanka in Bengaluru. Today, the hospital is counted among the best in India for its highly-specialised, modern diagnostic services, including Nuclear Medicine, Radiology, Pathology, Biopsy, Endoscopy and Colposcopy.
Founded on the principle of ‘Fighting Cancer the Right Way’, Cytecare is paving a new path in India’s fight against cancer. As practitioners of researched cancer care methodologies, the multidisciplinary team of clinicians at Cytecare is strongly guided by national as well as global protocols, such as the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO), National Health Service (NHS), Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Tata Memorial Hospital. The long-term vision is to make India a global cancer care destination by creating a network of medical centres of excellence across the country.
