Organised cancer screening programme to be expanded to five more districts of Tamil Nadu

CHENNAI: The organised cancer screening programme by the state health department through the Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine is now planned to be expanded to five more districts. It is expected to be implemented after the announcement in the State assembly.

The organised cancer screening programme is planned to be implemented in Nagercoil, Thanjavur, Salem, Coimbatore and Kancheepuram.

The programme was started in Erode, Ranipet, Tirupathur and Kanyakumari for the screening of all individuals aged 30 and above.

More than five lakh people have been invited for the screening in the four districts so far.

All the individuals above the age of 30 years are invited for the voluntary cancer screening as part of the programme in the selected districts.

A senior official from the state health department said that routine cancer screening is helpful in detecting the illness at an early stage and provide the right treatment. This will help to bring down the mortality due to cancer in the State."

The state health department has also initiated PET CT scan facilities in government medical college hospitals, with an aim to increase the screening facilities in the government sector.

The officials from the state health department say that the organised cancer screening is expected to be expanded across the state in a phased manner.