Merck Supports Free Diabetes Screening in collaboration with Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MHUS) and Ministry of Public Health and Family Welfare (MOPHFW) in India, kicks off June 25 as Maharashtra Merck Diabetes Day

• Merck kicks off June 25 as Maharashtra Merck Diabetes Day- MDD in collaboration with Ministry of Public Health and Family Welfare of Maharashtra.
• Merck joins hands with Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS) and Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER) to celebrate the success of the first year of Merck Capacity Advancement Program in India.
• Merck supports medical education for more than 5,000 medical students and free Diabetes screening for more than 20,000 community members In Maharashtra.

Mumbai, India, June 25, 2015 – Merck, a leading company for innovative and top-quality high-tech products in the pharmaceutical, chemical and life-science sectors, rolls out today Merck Diabetes Day- MDD in collaboration with Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS) and Ministry of Public Health and Family Welfare of Maharashtra Government in order to provide diabetes free screening and education for more than 20,000 community members at the 18 medical colleges of MUHS as part of Merck Capacity Advancement Program.

The Maharashtra Merck Diabetes Day- MDD will be rolled out across India and Africa to raise public awareness about Diabetes early detection and prevention aiming to reverse this worrying trend by preventing or delaying the development of diabetes in the African and Indian population as part of Merck Corporate Social Responsibility Agenda.

On the same day, Merck in collaboration with Maharashtra University of Health Sciences will also celebrate the success of the first year of Merck Capacity Advancement Program in India. More than 5000 medical undergraduates and healthcare providers have benefited from the European accredited Clinical Diabetes Management course in 2015. The program aims to target more than 25,000 students in India in the next five years.

Dr Frank Stangenberg Haverkamp, The Chairman of Executive Board and Family Board of E. Merck KG

During Maharashtra Merck Diabetes Day, Dr Frank Stangenberg Haverkamp, The Chairman of Executive Board and Family Board of E. Merck KG stated “We are pleased to engage with the Ministry of Public Health and Family Welfare, Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER) and Maharashtra University of Health Sciences to improve access to better Diabetes Care as part of our commitment to the social and economic development of India. Supporting the Diabetes education and community outreach programs of the University will contribute significantly to improving awareness, early diagnosis and prevention of the disease across India”.

The rising numbers of diabetics all over the world calls for prioritizing diabetes care and awareness to prevent the disease from turning into an epidemic. The Merck Capacity Advancement Program seeks to improve the healthcare sector in India with special focus on rural areas through educating and empowering those affected by diabetes on how to manage and prevent it.

Rasha Kelej. Vice president and head of Global Business Responsibility and Market Development at Merck Serono,
biopharmaceutical business of Merck emphasized at the event “In India, there is a significant increase in the burden of non- communicable diseases, including diabetes. There is clear evidence to show that diabetes prevalence is rapidly increasing, especially in urban India. The conventional risk factors of urbanization, unhealthy eating habits and physical inactivity, coupled with inherent genetic attributes and differences in body composition are propelling the increase in cases of diabetes. Accordingly, diabetes related complications are also on the rise and contribute significantly to overall morbidity and mortality. It was clear for us from the start that improvement of the levels of education and awareness of the disease will reduce its impact on health of the Indian population.”

Prof. Arun Jamkar, Vice Chancellor of Maharashtra University of Health Sciences, MUHS emphasized “Today we are happy to celebrate the success of the first year of the program. We have successfully engaged the stakeholders in the field of medicine and diabetes in Maharashtra In joint collaboration with DMER and Merck to implement their Capacity Advancement Program, this Diabetes education and awareness program aim to provide awareness, guidelines and clinical practice for prevention, diagnosis and management of diabetes and its complications for Maharashtra community members and medical undergraduates of the 18 medical colleges in Maharashtra university.”

Hon. Dr. Deepak R. Sawant Minister of Public Health and Family Welfare, Maharashtra Government during the inauguration event of the Maharashtra Merck Diabetes Day – MMDD emphasized “The cost of managing diabetes is enormous and places a huge burden on already strained healthcare system. The lack of awareness on disease symptoms makes many diabetes patients to be diagnosed late when they have already developed complications such as blindness, foot ulcers or gangrene, heart diseases among others. There is a strong, new argument that by combining screening to find pre-diabetes and early diabetes, along with management aimed to keep glucose levels as close to normal as possible, we can change the natural history of the disease and improve the lives of our patients. Hence, I urge all Indians to get screened and be active in order to get healthier.”

 

Merck Inaugurates Biomass Plant in Goa, India

• Co-generation unit promotes climate protection and energy efficiency
• To manufacture vitamin preparations, industrial and laboratory chemicals as well as microbiological products, among others

Goa/Mumbai, November 25, 2014 – Merck, a leading company for innovative and top-quality high-tech products in the pharmaceutical, chemical and life science sectors, today commissioned a climate-neutral co-generation plant at its production site in Goa, India.

In doing so, Merck is underscoring its commitment to climate protection and energy efficiency in line with its corporate responsibility. The project is part of a company-wide climate protection program. Merck previously commissioned a new co-generation plant at its headquarters in Darmstadt in July.

Dr. Thierry Hulot, Executive Vice President, Head of Global Manufacturing & Supply
and Member of Merck Pharmaceutical Executive Committee

Dr. Thierry Hulot, Executive Vice President, Head of Global Manufacturing & Supply and Member of Merck Pharmaceutical Executive Committee visited India on the occasion and inaugurated the plant. He said, “Merck’s new climate-neutral co-generation plant in Goa has a tremendous power output for our pharmaceutical and chemical production operations. In the manufacture of our products, we seek to impact the environment as little as possible. As a responsible company, we express our respect to the environment in an Industrial Plant that provides medicines for millions of patients in India.”

Merck’s Goa site is located in Usgao, around 45 kilometers from Panaji, the capital of the Indian state of Goa. This co-generation unit, which has a power output of three megawatts, generates electricity and steam for the pharmaceutical and chemical production operations in Goa. Merck is mainly recycling the shells of cashews and coconuts, two crops that are farmed in the region, to use as biomass. Overall, this will make it possible to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by around 11,500 metrics tons, corresponding to around 85% of the site’s total CO2 emissions. The biomass plant, which represents an investment of more than € 3 million, will ensure that the site has a reliable supply of energy and can operate independently of the public power grid. More than 300 employees manufacture vitamin preparations, industrial and laboratory chemicals as well as microbiological products, among other things.

Mr. Pramod Pimplikar, Director – Technical Operations, GMS- Merck Serono

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Pramod Pimplikar, Director – Technical Operations, GMS- Merck Serono said, “We are extremely excited in being able to make a positive difference to our business, the environment and capacity building efforts. With this Green field site, we aim to reduce CO2 emission by 85% and deliver clean, green, efficient, reliable power and steam supply, improving efficiencies and contributing to the nation’s interest. By 2020 Merck KGaA has committed to reduce its global CO2 emissions by 20% and we are happy to be in a position to contribute to those efforts.”

The climate protection program Edison comprises around 300 climate protection and energy efficiency activities of the Merck Group. The objective is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from energy generation as well as to enhance the energy efficiency of research and production processes. Merck aims to reduce its total direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions by 20% by 2020, measured against the 2006 baseline. At its site in Jaffrey, New Hampshire (USA), Merck plans to commission a further biomass central heating plan next year.

Merck is a leading company for innovative, top-quality high-tech products in the chemical, pharmaceutical and life science sectors. With its four divisions Merck Serono, Consumer Health, Performance Materials and Merck Millipore, Merck generated total revenues of around € 11.1 billion in 2013. Around 39,000 employees work for Merck in 66 countries to improve the quality of life for patients, to further the success of customers, and to help meet global challenges. Merck is the world’s oldest pharmaceutical and chemical company – since 1668, the company has stood for innovation, business success and responsible entrepreneurship. Holding an approximately 70% interest, the founding family remains the majority owner of the company to this day. Merck, Darmstadt, Germany holds the global rights to the Merck name and brand. The only exceptions are Canada and the United States, where the company is known as EMD.

 

Merck Advances to Sixth Place in the 2014 Access to Medicine Index

• Merck moves up two places from previous rank 8
• Access to Medicine Foundation acknowledges Merck’s strategic approach to access to health

Darmstadt, Germany, November 18, 2014 – Merck, a leading company for innovative and top-quality high-tech products in the pharmaceutical, chemical and life science sectors, announced today that it now ranks sixth in the Access to Medicine Index published yesterday by the Access to Medicine Foundation. Merck has moved up two places compared to the 2012 ranking. This improvement underlines the company’s commitment to helping overcome barriers to access for underserved populations and communities in low- and middle-income countries as part of its corporate responsibility and sustainable business approach. Every two years, the Access to Medicine Index benchmarks the top pharmaceutical companies on activities and initiatives that are advancing access to medicines in developing countries.

“Merck has revised its Access to Health strategy and has launched new initiatives since 2012 including a pro-access business model in India and an innovative initiative to increase local manufacturing capabilities,” the Access to Medicine Foundation cited as reasons why Merck has advanced in the new ranking.

“Our efforts have been well-recognized by the Access to Medicine Foundation and we are proud to be ranked among the top leading companies only three years after starting our Access to Health initiative,” Stefan Oschmann, Chief Executive Officer Pharma and Vice Chairman Elect of the Executive Board of Merck, said. ”The fact that we’ve once again improved our ranking proves that access to health has become an integral part of how we conduct business. Of course we will continue our endeavors to better help patients, who are at the core of all our efforts, and to possibly further contribute to alleviating the various barriers to access for those most in need.”

Merck’s strategy to addressing the complex challenge of providing access to underserved populations and patients in low- and middle-income countries focuses upon four priority areas, known as the 4As for Availability, Affordability, Awareness and Accessibility. Whereas availability includes refining of health solutions to address unmet needs tailored to local environments, affordability entails addressing the inability to pay challenge. Awareness focuses on empowering people with appropriate tools and knowledge to make informed decisions, whether through education and training or metrics and evidence gathering, and accessibility comprises initiatives to strengthen supply chain and develop localized health solutions.

Compared to 2012, Merck now has been recognized by the Access to Medicine Foundation in particular for leading practices such as:

• Strategic approach that comprises for example a strong focus on research & development for local and unmet needs and innovative manufacturing and distribution initiatives, including forward integration of supply chains
• Multi-dimensional approach to fight the tropical worm disease schistosomiasis: a long-term donation program that aims to help eliminate the disease, as well as the development of a new diagnostic tool and a pediatric formulation
• Pro-access IP management comprising of a commitment not to file for or enforce patents in the widest range of developing countries, access policies for future on-patent products, and open innovation initiatives
• Merck established its Access to Health initiative in February 2011 and has identified access gaps and opportunities to better meet the needs of underserved patients. The unit is ensuring that access brings added value to the community at large, and is becoming an integral part of how Merck conducts business in a responsible, sustainable manner. Merck launched the Su-Swastha pilot program, a pro-access business model aiming at increasing access to healthcare products at an affordable price in rural India. Another example is the Merck Capacity Advancement Program (CAP) to raise awareness of diabetes in Africa and in India by educating the public and supporting the healthcare system on ways to prevent, diagnose and manage diabetes effectively. In summary, Merck recognizes the complexity of bringing health solutions to the poor and understands that Access to Medicine Index objectives cannot be reached by the pharmaceutical industry alone. Partnership, collaboration and continuous dialogue with a diverse array of stakeholders are key to ensuring that the delivery of sustainable access solutions is serving people’s needs.

Access to Medicine Foundation
The Access to Medicine Foundation is an international not for profit organization stimulating pharmaceutical companies to improve access to medicine to societies in need. Based in Haarlem, the Netherlands, the Foundation publishes the Access to Medicine Index, the first Index of its kind to rank pharmaceutical companies with respect to their efforts to enhance global access to medicine.

The Foundation aims to advance access to medicine in developing countries by encouraging the pharmaceutical industry to accept a greater role towards improving access to medicine in less developed countries. Please find more information here.

Access to Medicine Index
Access to medicines remains a very serious concern for billions of people suffering from disease and is still a primary challenge for the global health system. Reflecting the key role of the pharmaceutical industry in addressing the challenges of access, it is essential that the Access to Medicine Index’s approach to monitoring and evaluating the performance of the industry in this work is robust, balanced and comprehensive. The foundation every two years ranks 20 medium to large-size pharmaceutical companies with respect to their efforts to enhance global access to medicine. You can see the latest ranking as well as rankings from the past here.

All Merck Press Releases are distributed by e-mail at the same time they become available on the Merck Website. Please go to http://www.merckgroup.com/subscribe to register online, change your selection or discontinue this service.

Merck is a leading company for innovative and top-quality high-tech products in the pharmaceutical, chemical and life science sectors. With its four divisions Merck Millipore, Merck Serono, Performance Materials and Consumer Health, Merck generated total revenues of € 11.1 billion in 2013. Around 39,000 Merck employees work in 66 countries to improve the quality of life for patients, to further the success of customers and to help meet global challenges. Merck is the world’s oldest pharmaceutical and chemical company – since 1668, the company has stood for innovation, business success and responsible entrepreneurship. Holding an approximately 70% interest, the founding family remains the majority owner of the company to this day. Merck, Darmstadt, Germany is holding the global rights to the Merck name and brand. The only exceptions are Canada and the United States, where the company is known as Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany.

 

Doctor and Patient Join Forces to Launch Decade-Long Movement to Find the Cure for Colon Cancer

The Wunder Project maps out a detailed research plan, calls on USC and international team of medical leaders to find the cure and aims to raise $250 million in two years to ensure viability of success

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 19, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — In conjunction with March’s Colon Cancer Awareness Month, The Wunder Project, an initiative with a clear mission of finding the cure for colon cancer, launches today.

Behind the movement is Gloria Borges, a 31-year-old Stage IV colon cancer warrior, and her physician, Dr. Heinz-Josef Lenz, Associate Director for Clinical Research and chair of GI Oncology program at the University of Southern California (USC) Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, as well as Co-Director of the USC Center for Molecular Pathways and Drug Discovery. Together, the duo and their team are determined to raise $250 million in a two-year fundraising campaign for colon cancer research, with a game-changing and methodical plan of finding a viable cure within 10 years.

Dr. Heinz Josef-Lenz

“To change the fate of those stricken with colon cancer, it’s time we rethink how to approach the solution, and that’s what we’re doing here,” Borges said, of her inspiration behind the Project. “My life, and the lives of thousands of others, is literally on the line. We cannot back down until we raise every last cent, because starting with the cure to one form of cancer will have implications on cancer as a whole.”

Borges, a Stage IV colon cancer patient, was diagnosed in 2010 at the age of 28. She was given one year to live, but under the care of Lenz, Borges defied the odds and is continuing her fight today with continuous care and bi-monthly chemotherapy. A practicing lawyer at O’Melveny & Myers, LLP, Borges knows how to take on a challenge. As a “warrior,” she will lead The Wunder Project movement using her business acumen and incredible passion to build partnerships and raise resources that will directly fund the research team’s efforts.

Spearheading the research, Lenz has gathered a team of the best medical researchers, doctors, international experts and other field leaders from across the world to commit their time to the cure. Lenz has laid out a detailed methodology to tackle this issue, coupled with the corresponding funds needed to spearhead each research milestone. The plan includes creating an annotated tumor bank to analyze and understand how colon cancer affects individualized patients, study tumor mutations and molecular pathways to find effective chemotherapy treatments for tumors at multiple stages, and finally, develop smarter treatments that get to the cure.

“I have been researching colon cancer for over 20 years, and I’ve seen many patients lose the battle,” Lenz said of his time in the field. “The Wunder Project will make a difference because we know it’s scientifically possible. We have the tools, the research, the passion and a specific timeline to get to the cure.”

Known as one of the deadliest forms of cancer, colon cancer takes the lives of 50,000 Americans each year and leaves another 150,000 Americans with the toxic prognosis.

“Finding the cure for colon cancer will also help provide the blueprint for curing other types of cancer,” Borges said. “Everyday I tell myself the same thing – cancer, your time is up.”

To learn more about The Wunder Project and the detailed roadmap to the cure, or to get involved with the movement, visit TheWunderProject.org. Connect with The Wunder Project at @WunderGlo #CancerYourTimeIsUp or Facebook.com/TheWunderProject.

About The Wunder Project
The Wunder Project is a movement – a partnership between Gloria Borges, a Stage IV Colon Cancer warrior, and Dr. Heinz-Josef Lenz, a world-renowned doctor and clinical researcher, with a mission to cure colon cancer within 10 years. The movement will call upon corporate donors, grants and personal donations to raise $250 million in a two-year fundraising campaign, with all funds going directly toward research in order to achieve the ultimate goal: finding a cure to colon cancer. For more information on the The Wunder Project, visit TheWunderProject.org and connect with The Wunder Project @WunderGlo #CancerYourTimeIsUp and Facebook.com/TheWunderProject.

 

Awareness on colorectal cancer is low

Despite being the fourth most common form of cancer across the world, public awareness on colorectal cancer is much lower when compared to lung or tobacco-related cancers.

With the objective of bringing about a change in public perception and detecting such cases early so as to increase the chances of curing it, the Sri Ramakrishna Institute of Oncology and Research here on Monday launched a free screening programme for colorectal cancer to mark the World Cancer Day.

C. Soundararaj, managing trustee of SNR and Sons Trust, releases a book on ‘colorectal cancer’ during a function in the city on Monday to mark World Cancer Day. Amutha Arun, permanent trustee of Arunagiri Colorectal Cancer Trust, receives the first copy. P. Guhan (left), Director, Sri Ramakrishna Institute of Oncology and Research, is in the picture. Photo: S. Siva Saravanan

A book on colorectal cancer was also released on the occasion to create public awareness.

Institute Director R. Guhan said that through this campaign, patients would be provided not only screening but also the subsequent investigations and consultations free of cost.

Family History
Prevalent mostly among elders, he said that symptoms of this include, among others, highly altered bowel habits, chronic abdominal discomfort and those with a family history of colorectal cancer.

This month’s screening was being done in collaboration with Arunagiri Colorectal Cancer Trust, formed in memory of the late industrialist S. Arunagiri, himself a victim of this cancer, by his family and class mates from Annamalai University. It provided financial help for treating patients between 25 and 60 years from economically weaker sections.

The World Cancer Day was observed on February 4 every year by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) to raise awareness of cancer and encourage its prevention, detection and treatment.

Addressing the inaugural function, Dr. Guhan said, “cancer is not a death sentence as if detected early, it could be cured and the patient could return to normal life.

A case in the point is the Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh who has returned to the team after treatment for lung cancer.” Dr. Guhan estimated that at least 30 new cases of this cancer were being reported every month in the Coimbatore region. C. Soundararaj, managing trustee, SNR and Sons, Amutha Arun, permanent trustee, Arunagiri Colorectal Cancer Trust, K. Karthikesh, interventional oncologist, took part in the function.

Colorectal cancer causes uncontrolled cell growth in the colon or rectum (parts of the large intestine) or in the appendix.

Source: The Hindu

 

A Cancer You Can Prevent

Colon cancer is one of the most common worldwide, and is strongly linked to lifestyle choices

A 42-year-old Delhi-based MCD official ignored rectal bleeding for almost a year. He also overlooked unexplained weight loss, and the fact that he was fatigued all the time. Finally, he was referred by his doctor for a colonoscopy. The test revealed a tumour, which was found to be cancerous.

“My patient couldn’t believe that he has been diagnosed with colorectal cancer (CRC), commonly known as colon cancer or bowel cancer. He kept asking, ‘Why me? I have always been very fit and healthy’,” says Shyam Aggarwal, senior consultant and chairman, department of medical oncology, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi. “But he was a smoker and consumed alcohol almost every evening. Both clear risk factors for CRC,” Dr Aggarwal says.

Here’s the good news and the bad news: CRC is a form of cancer that is heavily dependent on your lifestyle—your physical activity levels, your diet, how much you drink, and whether you smoke or not. Which means preventing it is largely in your hands.

“Yet its numbers are rising rapidly worldwide, and unfortunately in India too,” Dr Aggarwal says. The World Health Organization GLOBOCAN 2008 report, the latest study on this, says the estimated incidence level in India in 2008 was 36,476, and is expected to rise to 49,122 by 2013.

“CRC develops due to uncontrolled cell growth in the colon or rectum (parts of the large intestine) and the reasons that lead to it are rather straightforward,” explains Ashok Vaid, chairman, division of medical and paediatric oncology, haematology and bone marrow/stem cell transplant, Medanta–The Medicity, Gurgaon. “While there is some genetic component, close relatives like parents, brothers, sisters, or children of a person with a history of colon cancer are somewhat more likely to develop this disease themselves, especially if the relative had the cancer at a young age. But it’s mainly related to changing lifestyles and eating habits.”

A diet low in fibre and vegetables is one of the leading culprits.

According to Rajinder Kaur Saggu, consultant surgical oncologist, Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, New Delhi, CRC was the third most common cancer worldwide in men (663,904 cases, 10% of the total cancers) and the second in women (571,204 cases, 9.4% of the total cases) in 2008.

“The original Indian meal, which is naturally high on fibre, ensured people didn’t get colon cancer,” says Dr Saggu. “Deviating from the Indian cereal-based diet and adopting a Western diet that is more focused on preservatives-laden, low-fibre junk is proving disastrous for our health,” she says. The average Indian diet is heavy in vegetables, pulses and wholegrain like atta.

In India, CRC ranks as the sixth most common cancer across age groups. “This is probably because of the traditionally vegetarian diet that we consume,” says Dr Vaid. “But in recent years this has undergone a massive change, and now we see many more cases of CRC coming up. As per WHO GLOBOCAN, in India, 42,000 cases are expected to be diagnosed in 2012.”

Diet demons
Diets high in vegetables, fruits and wholegrains are a clear safeguard, and linked to a decreased risk of colorectal cancer. According to the study, Fruit, Vegetables, Dietary Fiber, And Risk of Colorectal Cancer by Paul Terry, et al, published in the Journal of National Cancer Institute in 2001, some clinical trials show that cereals, especially wheat bran, contain substances such as fibre, phytic acid, various phenolic compounds, lignins, and flavonoids that might lower the risk for colorectal cancer.

On the other hand, diets that contain a lot of animal fat and red meat, especially processed meats like ham, sausages or bacon, can increase the risk of developing bowel cancer.

“The greatest increase in risk seems to be for people eating two or more portions of red or processed meat a day,” says Dr Saggu. “No link has been found between eating poultry such as turkey and chicken, and an increased risk of this cancer.”

A study published in the February 2007 edition of the International Journal of Cancer states that there is a 15% increase in risk of colon or rectal cancer with an increase of 100g of alcohol intake per week. The study adds that high alcohol intake was significantly associated with increased risk of colon and rectal cancer.

“The more you drink, the more the risk increases,” says Dr Aggarwal. “This may be due to the fact that heavy alcohol users tend to have low levels of folic acid in the body.”

Radheshyam Naik, head, medical oncology and stem cell transplantation at the HCG Bangalore Institute of Oncology Speciality Centre, Bangalore, explains further, “The carcinogenic effects of alcohol include immunodepression, activation of liver procarcinogens, and changes in bile composition, as well as increased tissue nitrosamine levels (due to nitrosamine content of alcoholic beverages).”

Other factors
The cancer is also more common in people who have smoked cigarettes for a long time (20 years or more, says Dr Saggu). “Smoking is a well-known cause of lung cancer, but some of the carcinogens in smoke dissolve in saliva and if swallowed, can cause digestive system cancers like colorectal cancer,” says Dr Saggu.
Being overweight and inactive also seems to be a risk factor for this cancer, and raises the probability of developing the disease in both men and women, though the link is stronger in men.

“People who have had ulcerative colitis disease (disease of the lining of the bowel) for a long time also have an increased risk of developing bowel cancer,” says Dr Saggu. “Individuals with a history of diabetes or frequent constipation are also at an increased risk for this cancer.”

Easy detection
Despite its high incidence, colon cancer is one of the most easily detectable and, if found early enough, also one of the most treatable forms of cancer.

“This is one cancer that awareness alone can help beat. The problem is that its symptoms are often confused with haemorrhoids, piles or even irritable bowel syndrome, leading to late detection,” says Dr Aggarwal. “That is why screening can save lives. It can find precancerous polyp (abnormal growths in the colon or rectum) so that they can be removed before turning into cancer, and also help catch the cancer at an early stage, when treatment usually leads to a cure.”

The probability of a cure decreases from 90% in the first stage to 30% in the terminal stage (stage 4), according to the experts interviewed. They recommend that people over 40 years be screened regularly for this.

“Colorectal cancer initially starts in the lining of the bowel and if left untreated, can grow into the muscle layers underneath, and then through the bowel wall,” says Dr Saggu, adding, “Cancers that are confined within the wall of the colon are often curable with surgery.”

Modern technology ensures that less than 5% of all colorectal cancer patients require a colostomy, the surgical construction of an artificial excretory opening from the colon, according to Dr Aggarwal.

Stay alert
While some of these symptoms seem like commonplace ailments, see a doctor if they recur often, in combination, or are persistent problems.

• Diarrhoea or constipation lasting more than two weeks, blood or mucous in stool
• Pencil stools (thinner than usual) or feeling as if you cannot empty your bowels completely
• Anaemia
• Abdominal swelling or persistent abdominal pain or discomfort
• Unexplained weight loss
• Extreme tiredness, or a dizzy feeling
• Flatulence
• Vomiting

The tests
The high-sensitivity faecal occult blood test (FOBT), which checks for hidden blood in three consecutive stool samples, should be done every year.

Flexible sigmoidoscopy, where doctors use a flexible, lighted tube (sigmoidoscope) to look at the interior walls of the rectum and part of the colon, should be done every five years.

Colonoscopy, where physicians use a flexible, lighted tube (colonoscope) to look at the interior walls of the rectum and the entire colon (during this procedure, samples of tissue may be collected for closer examination, or polyps may be removed), should be done every 10 years.

Source: LiveMint