According to Dr Ninad Katdare, Cancer is the word that weakens the psyche and strength of any human being. The fatal outcome associated with this medical condition is the main cause of such trauma. Thankfully, decades of scientific research and advancement in technology has not only improved the survival rate but also enhanced the quality of life in some terminal cancers.
As stated by Dr Ninad Katdare, unfortunately, many patients have still deprived of such advanced treatments due to a lack of proper awareness. The reason being, most of them rely only on their family physician who in some cases are too uninformed. In the following article, the doctor had tried to bring forth the various aspect of advanced treatments available for different types of cancers and wants every patient to make an informed choice.
1.Breast Cancer: Standard treatment combines Surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation (if necessary). Other Advanced options for patients –
- Breast conservation: The results of breast-conserving surgery (with radiation) is equal to the surgery requiring removal of the whole breast. So for young women, a breast preserving surgery can be done.
- Plastic surgery: Reconstruction of the entire removed breast or a part of it (as in breast-conserving surgery) can be done. With advances in technology, many new plastic surgery techniques are available which can help in giving good form even after a mutilating surgery.
- Advances in chemotherapy and hormone therapy help in improving survival.
- The use of new devices like Scalp cooling caps can reduce hair fall after chemotherapy.
2. Head and Neck Cancers: Common cancer among men and cause for it is tobacco chewing, betel nut, and smoking. Few technologies can be helpful to the patient:
– Laser: The use of laser has made surgery very safe for patients with head and neck cancers. For cancers in the oropharynx (behind the tongue) and larynx (voice box), the laser can remove early lesions without any scar on the face or neck.
– Radiation: With improvements in quality of radiation and availability of technologically advanced measures like IMRT, IGRT, and Rapid arc, up to stage 3 cancers in the oropharynx and larynx can be treated with radiation alone or in combination with chemotherapy without the need for surgery
– Microvascular plastic surgery– In face cancers and oral cavity cancers improvement in surgical technology enables us to do microvascular plastic surgery and give good cosmesis, form, and function to the patient.
3. Colorectal Cancers: The maximum advances had happened in cancer of colon and rectum.
(i) In stage 0 and stage 1 (selected cases), cancer can be removed by an endoscope without the need for surgery. The techniques are called endoscopic sub mucous dissection
(ii) In stages 2 and 3, with the advent of laparoscopy, robotic surgery, and surgical staplers, very difficult surgery can be done safely and the patient’s recovery is very fast as the incisions usually are not more than 1 to 1.5cm.
(iii) In rectal cancers, even if they are very close to the anal canal, if the sphincters are safe, using new technology, we can save the anal canal. The need for a permanent colostomy is thus avoided. Colostomy i.e. using a bag to collect stools from a loop of intestine brought at the abdominal wall is not liked by many patients and as such with the advent of these new technologies, it can be prevented.
(iv) Even in the 4th stage (last stage) of colorectal cancers, many new advances improve survival.
Dr Ninad Katdare says that if cancer has spread to the liver, upfront surgery is possible. But in few cases, the infection in the peritoneum (lining of the abdominal wall), can be shrunk using newer chemotherapy in heated form as well as in gas form can be used to control the disease (PIPAC) and targeted therapy (EPIC/HIPEC treatments). Post this, surgery can be initiated. If surgery is not possible, the tumours can be burnt using a technique called radiofrequency ablation and microwave ablation.
4. Ovarian Cancer: It is one of the most common cancers in women. It is deadliest because it is usually diagnosed in an advanced stage. Newer advances in surgery and chemotherapy are helping to improve survival in this deadly cancer.
(I) Laparoscopy: For all stages of cancer, before surgery, the oncologist assesses the disease burden by laparoscopy. Using an advanced formula called the Anderson algorithm, he assesses whether a patient will benefit from surgery or chemotherapy first.
(ii) Surgery: Using advanced instruments like harmonic scalpel, hydro dissector, etc., even advanced stage 3 cancers can undergo upfront surgery. Scientific research has shown that upfront surgery wherever possible should be done as it almost doubles the survival rather than giving chemotherapy first.
iii) Ovarian cancer patients who cannot tolerate chemotherapy or who do not want side effect of chemotherapy, again the PIPAC- Pressurised Intra-Peritoneal Aerosolised Chemotherapy can be used.
Dr Ninad Katdare specialises in conducting all the above-listed oncology surgeries like Head and neck cancer, breast cancers, Gastrointestinal & reconstruction surgeries etc. He’s a trained surgeon to use endoscopy laparoscopy and robotic and conduct gynecologic oncology. In addition to the above, Dr Ninad Katdare is the first surgeon to use the Anderson algorithm for the treatment of ovarian cancer. He’s a pioneer in PIPAC- Pressurised Intra-Peritoneal Aerosolised Chemotherapy and specialises in HIPEC, EPIC, NIPS chemotherapy treatments.
Dr. Ninad Katdare
Surgical Oncologist
Clinic: 2nd Floor, Sharda Sadan, S.G. Road, Opp. Hotel Midtown Pritam, Dadar (E), Mumbai- 400014.
Email: ninad.katdare@humaneoncology.com
For appointment contact : +91 9307189964.
