Hyderabad, March 02: Atomic Energy Commission Chairperson Sri Kumar Banerjee on Tuesday sought to allay public fears over application of radiation therapy in cancer treatment. He was addressing a gathering after visiting the Mahatma Gandhi International Cancer Institute here. “There is a public perception that radiation causes cancer and the very radiation is used for cancer treatment. But such a perception does not hold water and public fears over radiation vis-a-vis cancer is completely unfounded,”
Dr. Banerjee observed while calling for a public consensus in favour of the on-going nuclear energy development programme by dispelling fear among people through public awareness programmes.
It was the carcinogenic substances found in the environment due to pollution which were the cause for higher incidence of cancer, but not the radiation effects, he asserted. Quoting an instance in Punjab, he said fly-ash released from a thermal power plant was found to be playing havoc with the public health in terms of cancer incidence in that State, he explained. Similarly, tobacco chewing and smoking were also contributing to the spread of cancer, he added.
Dr. Banerjee, also secretary of the Department of Atomic Energy, informed that the government was contemplating establishment of ‘National Cancer Grid’ providing linkages to all the cancer treatment centres across the country. The move was intended to transfer the clinical know-how and data and image transmission from one centre to the other with the help of the latest technologies such as telemedicine, he said.
Proton therapy
He said proton therapy in cancer treatment was found to be the ‘best alternative’ to the electron beam therapy and gamma therapy. The frequent shut downs and fluctuations in power supply made the electron therapy more unreliable and quite expensive while the gamma machines could run with battery support, he explained.
Keeping in mind the acute shortage of proton machines, it was decided to lay much focus on development of such machines in the 12th Five Year Plan for a better cancer treatment, he said.
-Agencies