In India, the Cancer rate has increased at an average annual rate of 1.1-2 percent from the year 2010-to 2019. Scientists are trying better ways to treat cancer. The use of technology lessens the danger while treating cancer. Advancements in technology have made cancer a more manageable disease. Artificial Intelligence, technology, and new inventories with radiation have helped a lot in weakening cancer cells.
Cancer affects a particular part of the body and destroys body tissue. Types of Cancer are Breast Cancer, Prostate Cancer, Basal Cell Cancer, Melanoma, Colon Cancer, Lung Cancer, Leukemia, Lymphoma, etc. Cancer not only affects the inner part of the body. It can also affect the outer part of the body like our skin.
There are many technologies that have helped to attack cancer cells and they are:
1. CRISPR/Cas9:- CRISPR/Cas9 is a unique technology that is been in use to lessen the effect of cancer cells. It is a scientific way of genetic manipulation that is currently in ‘trend’ now. But, there are still many unmet needs in cancer, any new and effective treatment will be a positive addition to the oncologist’s arsenal said, Bonny.
Scientist from China uses CRISPR to destroy gene from immune T cells.
Sam Kulkarni(CEO of CRISPR Therapeutics, a swiss company) The precision and efficiency of gene editing with CRISPR/Cas9 enable the rapid creation of CAR-T cell therapies that may have distinct advantages over the current generation of CAR-T products.
2. Microbes: - Microbes also play important role in maintaining our health. The CSO of Enterome( A French-based company), Christophe Bonny said Elements of the microbiome play a role in suppressing an overactive immune system in inflammatory disease, and in boosting a suppressed immune system in cancers. The company has made cancer vaccines but human trials are not yet done.
3. CAR-T Cells: - Chimeric Antigen receptor T cells are also known as CAR-T cells. This CAR-T cell is customized according to each patient. It is a type of treatment where a patient’s T cells are changed in a way to target the cancer cells. CAR-T cell creates an artificial T cells receptor that gives the power to target a certain protein. It can be taken from T cells in a patient’s blood (known as autologous) or also from T cells from a healthy person (donor)(known as allogeneic). CAR-T cells are infused into the person and they work as a ‘Living drug’
4. Celyad’s CAR-T:- Celyad’s CAR-T approach exploits the molecular differences between cancer and healthy cells, homing in precisely on the cells that cause disease. These targeted approaches will hopefully lead to more tolerable treatments with higher efficacy and cure rates, particularly for patients with limited treatment options said Homsy.
In the case of Vaccines also each patient is given a custom build product.
Sean Marett CBO of BioNTech(a German immune-oncology company) said Mutations are random. If you look at one patient’s tumor and compare it to another patient’s, it would be highly unlikely that there will be a match.
Few Books which will help in knowing about the technologies more in-depth are as follows:-
1. Mammography and Beyond: Developing Technologies for the early detection of Breast cancer.
2. Nanostructures for Cancer Therapy. A volume in Micro and Nano Technologies
3. Biosensors and Molecules technologies for Cancer diagnostics
4. Oncology informatics: using health information technology to improve processes and outcomes in cancer.
5. DNA Microarray Technology and Data Analysis in Cancer Research.
6. Building Genetic Medicine: Breast Cancer, Technology, and the comparative Politics of Health Care(Inside Technology)
7. Food and Cancer Prevention: Chemical and Biological Aspects (Woodhead Publishing Series in Food Science, Technology and Nutrition.
Ratan Tata along with Assam Government contributed 17 Cancer Hospitals to Assam
Ratan Tata in the Cancer hospital inauguration ceremony said I dedicate my last years to health. Ratan Tata’s joint venture with the Assam government contributed to 17 Cancer hospitals in Assam. He wanted Assam to be a state that recognized and was recognized by all. He wanted the healthcare sector to increase in the state. He also added Cancer is not a rich man’s disease.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also tweeted that In the Dibrugarh program, 7 cancer hospitals across Assam will be inaugurated and the foundation stone for 7 more cancer hospitals will be laid. Such up-gradation of healthcare facilities across Assam is unprecedented and will help the people tremendously.
At the inauguration, Modi said, Today, 7 new cancer hospitals have been inaugurated in Assam. There was a time, even one hospital being opened in 7 years was a thing to celebrate. Times have changed now. I’ve been told three more cancer hospitals will be ready for your service in a few months.
Under the project of 10 hospitals, 7 were completed and they are located at Jorhat, Lakhimpur, Tezpur, Darrang, Barpeta, Kokrajhar, and Dibrugarh. And seven more cancer hospitals will be made whose foundation stone has been laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and they are located at Golaghat, Tinsukia, Sivasagar, Nagaon, Goalpara, Nalbari, and Dhubri.
The Prime Minister also talked about different health-related programs which include Yoga and Meditation. These help to maintain our health. Modi talked about ‘Swasthya ke Saptrishisi’, where he discussed the seven important things about good health and avoiding diseases like cancer. And they are-
1. Yoga- Preventive health care programs are being provided by the government. And Yoga helps in avoiding many diseases.
2. Getting Tested done soon- There are lakhs of Cancer Testing Centres. If anybody has doubts, they can go there and get tested for early detection. This will help a lot in fighting the disease.
3. Improving the health care sector- Every neighbor should have a good first-aid facility. And therefore, the primary health care centers are being looked after.
4. Free aid to the poor- Schemes like Ayushman Bharat provides free treatment for up to 5 lakhs to the poor. Since they don’t have enough source of income to fight diseases like cancer.
5. Less dependence on Big cities- Modi requested to not depend on big cities for their treatment. And therefore, the Indian government is trying to make investments to increase health infrastructure. 16 AIIMS has been proposed and Guwahati AIIMS is among them.
6. Less number of doctors- It is stated that in the last 7 years, there are 70,000 seats have been for MBBS and PG. Since there was a shortfall in the number of doctors.
7. Digitization of the health Services- Since everything is digital now, therefore Modi wants the health care sector to go digital. So, that patients can avoid the long queue and only focus on good treatment.
The Prime Minister said, the effort is that the citizens of the whole country can get the benefits of the schemes of the central government, anywhere in the country; there should be no restriction on that. This is the spirit of One Nation, One Health. This spirit gave strength to the country even in the biggest epidemic of 100 years, and gave strength to deal with the challenge.