Cancer patients need to be more cautious during Covid times: experts

Ongole: Tobacco consumers can quit the habit with commitment and save themselves from various types of cancers and risk of death due to Covid-19, said a team of oncologists at HCG MNR Curie Cancer Centre in Ongole.

As 'World No Tobacco Day' is being observed on Monday, the noted radiation oncologists Dr RV Raghunandan and Dr C Sai Snehith and surgical oncologists Dr Y Ramakrishna Reddy and Dr N Ramana Reddy at the HCG MNR Curie Cancer Centre spoke to 'The Hans India' to create awareness on cancers from tobacco consumption and encouraged the tobacco consumers to quit smoking. The doctors said that there are around 300 chemicals in tobacco and the organs that are exposed to smoking, sniffing or chewing tobacco are developing cancers like mouth, throat, kidney, bladder, oesophageal cancer and also causing stroke in the patients. The doctors observed that the addiction to nicotine is instigating people to consume more tobacco. They said that about 30 per cent of the Indian population are now consuming tobacco. They said that the e-cigarettes or flavoured cigarettes are also no less in harm to the consumers. They said that the number of women smokers is also increasing in the country.

The experts said that cancer patients should be more cautious in these unprecedented Covid times, as they have low immunity. They should continue the treatment as per the schedule as the delay might advance the stage of cancers. If they are infected with coronavirus, the cancer experts advised the patients to temporarily suspend taking the immunosuppressant drugs until they get tested as negative. The oncologists advised the tobacco consumers to quit smoking and take the help of family members or de-addiction centres. They also informed that the HCG MNR Curie Cancer Centre is conducting a screening camp on Monday, observing the World No Cancer Day and asked the public to utilize the same.