Adopt healthy lifestyle & say no to tobacco

According to a study by Indian Council of Medical Research,  'Head and Neck cancer' is among the top most cancers affecting Indian men and the third most common ailment among women. The National Centre for Disease Informatics and Research, Bengaluru in its report has stated that between 2007-2011, Head and neck cancer cases accounted for 30 and 10 percent of total cancers in males and females in the country.

Doctors say that  there has been an alarming increase in incidence of head and neck cancer cases over the past decade in developing countries like India and it is mainly due to alcohol consumption and tobacco. Fifty percent of head and neck cancers are oral cancers or mouth cancers which is the  commonest among all HNSC cancers. Around 50 per cent of the affected people die within 12 months of its diagnosis. Throat Cancer is next to oral cancer in terms of prevalence, it said.

However, if experts of the disease are to be believed  "almost 80 percent of the head and neck cancers are preventable since the majority of them are tobacco induced - smoke or the smokeless forms. To draw the world's attention to effective care and control of head and neck cancer, the International Federation of Head and Neck Oncologic Societies (IFHNOS)  has declared  July 27  as declared World Head Neck Cancer Day.

On This day, let us take pledge to say no to tobacco and adopt healthy lifestyle as stopping tobacco use and adopting a healthy lifestyle can prevent almost 80 percent of head and neck cancer cases in India.