Clinic to screen women with diabetes for cancer launched

Stating that the prevalence of diabetes has been rapidly growing, Dr V Shanta, Chairperson, Adyar Cancer Institute, said, “It has become a major concern. Many previous studies have linked diabetes with cancer. Researches reveal that diabetic women have a high risk for most cancers than men with diabetes. Women should come forward and adopt a healthy lifestyle to control diabetes.”

Stressing on the need for women with diabetes to undergo any available cancer-screening check-ups to detect cancer earlier, she added, “Ensuring that cancer is treated at the earliest is the need of the hour.”

Dr Vijay Viswanathan, Head and Chief Diabetologist, MV Hospital for Diabetes, which launched the centre, said, “It is alarming to note that there has been a steady increase of diabetes among women. Women with diabetes have more chances of developing heart attack and kidney failure than men.”

The centre will screen women with diabetes for early cancer detection like breast cancer and cervical cancer. “The clinic is also well equipped to screen for other problems like thyroid, silent heart disease and educate women with diabetes regarding vaccination and good control of diabetes and hypertension,” he stated, adding that this facility will help to prevent cancer, heart attacks and kidney failure among women in diabetes.