SCREENINGS THAT SAVE: Cancer Detection and Prevention
We partnered with Columbia University's Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center for a six-part lecture series and a publication to promote research, scientific knowledge exchange, and information about the detection and prevention of cancer in India, and raise awareness about dealing with the disease during the pandemic.
Lecture series
Breast Cancer Prevention:
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in Indian women. We began our Screenings that Save series with a webinar on breast cancer in October, 2020, the Global Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The panel, featuring Anil Rustgi, Director of Columbia University Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Associate Dean of Oncology, Chief of Cancer Services, Mary Beth Terry, Professor of Epidemiology at Columbia University, Dr. Sumeet Shah, Breast Cancer Surgeon and Chief Oncologist at Silverline OncoCare, and Dr. Roshni Rao, Chief of Breast Surgery at the New York Presbyterian Hospital, explored the the importance of screening, early diagnosis, and prevention of breast cancer.
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Detecting Gastrointestinal Cancers:
Gastrointestinal cancer is one of the world’s leading causes of morbidity and mortality. In the second webinar of the series, Dr. Gulam Manji, Director of Medical Oncology and Translational Research for the Pancreas Center, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Dr. Jeanine Genkinger, Associate Professor of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, and Dr. Vikram Chaudhari, Consultant GI-HPB surgeon, Surgical Oncology, Tata Memorial Center explored the risk factors for the development of stomach and pancreatic cancers and discussed the feasibility of individual and population based screening strategies. The seminar was held on November 30, 2020, marking the Global Stomach and Pancreatic Cancer Awareness month.
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Cervical Cancer Prevention:
Our third webinar in the Screenings that Save series discussed the challenges associated with cervical cancer, the second most common type of cancer found among Indian women, in both rural and urban areas. Depicting a grim picture of cervical cancer prevalence among Indian women, Louise Kuhn, Professor of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health and Sharmila Pimple, Professor, Preventive Oncology, Tata Memorial Hospital deliberated upon the social and medical barriers in implementing cervical cancer screening and HPV vaccines in India and the world. The webinar also discussed the primary and secondary prevention approaches to improve health outcomes.
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Preventing Oral Cancer:
Despite being one of the most preventable cancers, oral cancer kills nearly one person every hour of every day of the year worldwide. Considered as the global epicenter of this disease, India contributes to almost one-third of the global oral cancer burden. Our Center organized an online seminar with Salvatore Caruana, Director, Head and Neck Surgery, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Columbia University Medical Center, Arjun Singh, Fellow, Head and Neck Surgery, Tata Memorial Hospital and Monika Arora, Director & Professor, Health Promotion Division, Public Health Foundation of India to discuss multi-pronged strategies to combat the challenge of oral cancer in India and the world.
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Preventing Liver Cancer:
Our Screenings that Save series featured a critical discussion around the screening, early diagnosis and prevention of liver cancer. Elizabeth Zheng, Transplant Hepatologist, Center for Liver Disease and Transplantation, New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Rajesh Dikshit, Director, Center for Cancer Epidemiology, Tata Memorial Center, and Regina Santella, Professor, Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University analyzed the global liver cancer burden and elucidated effective and targeted prevention strategies to control liver cancer in India and the world.
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Detecting Blood Cancer
India has the third highest incidence of blood cancer in the world. During the Blood Cancer Awareness Month in September, 2021, a panel led by Rajshekhar Chakraborty, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Justine Kahn, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University, and Venkatraman Radhakrishnan, Associate Professor Medical and Pediatric Oncology, Chennai Cancer Institute delved into the alarming rise in cancer incidence among Indian children, and identified interventions and strategies for prevention.
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Publication
The webinars in the Screenings that Save: Cancer Prevention and Detection series shed light on risk factors and feasible steps that could be implemented to promote early detection and prevention for improving survival outcomes in India and the world. We compiled the key aspects from all six virtual seminars into an easy-to-read booklet. The publication features presentations by 17 cancer experts from Columbia University and Indian institutions. It identifies global trends and India-specific practices to provide a platform for knowledge exchange.