World Cancer Day, observed annually on February 4th, is a global initiative led by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) to raise awareness, mobilize action, and inspire individuals, communities, and governments to take tangible steps in the fight against cancer. It serves as a platform to amplify the voices of those affected by cancer and advocate for meaningful change in cancer prevention, treatment, and care.
Globally about 8.8 million people die from cancer each year; if left unchecked, the number of deaths will increase to 13.2 million per year by 2030. The five most frequent cancers in India are breast cancer, cervical cancer, oral cancer, lung and colorectal cancer. World Cancer Day is important in the global health calendar for several reasons. It serves as a catalyst for raising awareness about the burden of cancer and its impact on individuals, families, and societies worldwide. It also mobilizes collective action, encouraging stakeholders to collaborate, innovate, and invest in initiatives to reduce the cancer burden and improve outcomes for patients and survivors.
World Cancer Day 2024’s theme is “Close the Care Gap,” emphasizing the need to address disparities in cancer care and ensure equitable access to prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and support.
Closing the Care Gap: Apollo AyurVAID’s Approach
Cancer management today requires a collaborative approach involving multiple specialists. Ayurveda offers a holistic approach to cancer treatment, focusing on mental, emotional, and spiritual health. At Apollo AyurVAID, our initiatives to close this care gap involve the Integrative Cancer Rehabilitation Program (ICRP), a pioneering initiative that integrates classical Ayurveda principles with modern medicine to improve treatment outcomes and promote functional health.
The program includes primary prevention, adjuvant care, rehabilitation, survivorship, and palliative/end-of-life care. Primary prevention involves early screenings to detect cancer in its premorbid state. Adjuvant care addresses the adverse effects of conventional treatments, while rehabilitation restores patients to their optimal level of function. Survivorship initiatives focus on secondary prevention to mitigate cancer recurrence and metastasis. The program’s multifaceted approach includes Ayurveda Panchakarma therapies, functional interventions, dietary adjustments, lifestyle modifications, nursing care, and medication support.
What a Cancer Patient Can Expect Through Our Approach?
- Minimal to no side effects of Chemotherapy
- Improved appetite, digestion, bowel movement, and urine output
- Improved energy levels and vitality
- Alleviation of pain and long-term side effects like neuropathy, lymphedema, weight loss, and altered taste
- Sound sleep
- Improved overall quality of life
- Improved psychological well-being
- Improved immunity, minimizing inflammation and infection risks during treatment.
By incorporating Ayurvedic principles into cancer awareness and care initiatives, we can promote equitable access to comprehensive cancer care for all individuals, closing the care gap and promoting holistic well-being. World Cancer Day emphasizes the need to address cancer and its associated care gaps, and this multifaceted approach acknowledges the spectrum of healing modalities available.
