Dr. Swaroopa Mitra, Senior Consultant and Chief of Gynecological and Genitourinary Radiation Oncology, Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute and Research Centre, New Delhi, stated that over 60% of the incidents of cancer are detected late, leading to a high mortality rate in India. Dr. Mitra was addressing the audience at the release of the first South Asian Review of DeVita, Hellman, and Rosenberg’s Cancer: Principals and Practice of Oncology, the most acclaimed book on cancer in the world.

She further noted that a sedentary lifestyle, increased pollution in urban areas, a rise in obesity, and increased consumption of tobacco and alcohol are some of the reasons causing the spike in cancer cases. Dr. Harshvardhan, Member of Parliament and former Union Health Minister stated that treating cancer is a difficult job and oncologists need to treat people at multiple levels, such as medical, social, emotional, and even human levels, to ease their hardships.

This review book has been designed as a companion to the main textbook to fulfill the needs of the students and practitioners in South Asian countries. The book is in a question-and-answer format that provides a detailed explanation of a variety of important topics such as medical, surgical, and radiation oncology, with the answers including a supplement of Indian case scenarios and data for better understanding. The book was edited by Dr. Mitra and published by Wolters Kluwer. The book includes several chapters on the relapse of cancer, cancer survivorship, and palliative care that have immense value in South Asian countries. 

(Source: https://health.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/industry/over-60-of-cancers-detected-late-in-india-says-rgcirc/94221625)