The National Cancer Institute (NCI), a unit of US Department of Health and Human Services (USDHHS), has observed that India shares a large proportion of the global cancer burden. India has around 1.8 million people suffering from cancer, with patients of breast, cervical and oral cancers topping the list. Every 13th new cancer patient in the world is an Indian. 

The NCI has organised a two-day international workshop for scientific journalism, aimed at media professionals, in association with Public Health Foundation of India and Institute of Cytology and Preventive Oncology (ICPO), Noida, on October 12 and 13. This is NCI’s first such workshop in South Asia.

Experts also observed there is immediate need of skilled manpower and many more cancer treatment centres. There are only 412 medical colleges in the country. There are also only 347 teletherapy units – where patients are treated using radiation – in the country, against a need of 1,059.

Tumor vs Cancer

A tumor is a condition where there is abnormal cellular growth thus forming a lesion or in most cases, a lump in some part of the body. Cancer on the other hand is a degenerative condition where there is uncontrollable cellular growth that spreads in the body.

Tumors can be removed easily through surgery and the condition will not recur. Cancer on the other hand requires prolonged treatments that may involve surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy.

A tumor can be benign and will not develop into cancer. Cancer on the other hand is a malignant condition and the spread of abnormal cellular growth could become uncontrollable.