Timely cancer diagnosis saves lives of two young cancer patients

Bengaluru: Fortis Cunningham Road aims to create awareness on the importance of regular screening and timely diagnosis to save patients life. Recently, two young lives were saved owing to timely screening and detection of cancer. Both patients were treated by Dr. ShakirTabrez, Additional Director –Urology, Uro-Oncology, Uro-Gynaecology, Andrology, Transplant and Robotic Surgery at Fortis Cunningham Road.

The first patient was a young male who presented at the hospital with blood in urine. Tests and scans revealed a large bladder mass. He underwent Transurethral Resection of Bladder Tumor (TURBT - a procedure done to diagnose and to remove an early stage cancer in the bladder) which confirmed invasive bladder tumour (a cancer that has spread to surrounding tissues). Thereafter, the patient underwent radical cystectomy with neo-bladder creation, i.e., removal of the urinary bladder and creation of a new bladder with intestine segments for passing urine. The patient's recovery was fast, and he was discharged on the third day after surgery.

In the second case, a 30-year-old patient who came in for a routine health check-up was identified with renal mass on ultrasound. Further, a computerized tomography (CT) scan was done to examine the renal mass which was small in size (1.5cm). The patient underwent laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (removal of a section of the kidney to be used as treatment for primary renal tumors), through minimally invasive technique. He had a smooth recovery and was discharged within two days. In most cases of renal cancer, by the time patient presents with symptoms, cancer has usually spread. In this case, regular health check-up helped in the early detection of renal cancer.

Dr. ShakirTabrez said, "Early detection is prime factor in the fight against cancer. The earlier cancer is detected, more the spread is limited. These two cases are a testimony to the fact that regular health checks/health screening and timely diagnosis can help detect cancer in its early stages and save lives. In both these cases, patients did not have to go through radiation therapy due to early diagnosis, which saved the patients from the potential side effects of radiation therapy which include fatigue, skin irritation and a risk of secondary cancer in some cases. In urology related cancers, symptoms only show at an advanced stage, which can be life threatening. Such situations can be prevented and managed through routine health check-ups. At Fortis, we have treated many similar cases where early detection has helped save patients suffer from advanced stages of cancer. It is important to raise awareness amongst the public on timely health checks to prevent cancer and enable best treatment outcomes." The Fortis Hospitals, Bengaluru, Business Head, AkshayOleti said, "Fortis Bengaluru lays special emphasis on early detection in the fight against cancer. We are committed to providing our patients with the most advanced screening technology and the highest level of care. We believe that by detecting a tumour in its early stages, we can give our patients the best chances for survival and quality of life. This World Cancer Day, we remain steadfast in our commitment to our patients and customers and will do everything in our capacity to deliver empathetic and patient-centric care."