ACTREC Hosts Oral Cancer Workshop for Healthcare Workers From Thane and Region
More than 100 healthcare professionals from Thane, Palghar, Raigad, Mumbai, and Navi Mumbai gathered at the Mini Auditorium, Paymaster Shodhika, ACTREC, for a workshop on oral and head and neck cancer screening on July 24. Organised ahead of World Head and Neck Cancer Day, the program focused on building clinical capacity for early detection and multidisciplinary management of the disease.
The workshop was organised by the Division of Implementation Science and Behavioural Research at the Centre for Cancer Epidemiology, Tata Memorial Centre, in collaboration with the Public Health Department of the Government of Maharashtra.
During the inaugural session, experts at the Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer (ACTREC) called for strengthened early screening, timely diagnosis, and tobacco cessation. ACTREC also launched an Oral Cancer Guide aimed at boosting awareness and early detection efforts.
Attending medical officers, clinicians, dentists, and public health professionals participated in scientific sessions covering the epidemiology of head and neck cancers, implementation strategies, and evidence supporting oral screening. Participants also reviewed Maharashtra's progress in population-based screening under the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases.
The workshop highlighted data regarding the growing impact of head and neck cancers. According to GLOBOCAN 2024 figures cited at the event, India currently records 316,514 new cases and 141,063 deaths annually, accounting for nearly one-third of the global burden.
Projections presented at the event indicate that India's annual head and neck cancer burden is expected to rise to 557,000 new cases and 263,000 deaths by 2050. Globally, annual cases are projected to increase to 1.58 million with 772,000 deaths by 2050, up from current estimates of 1.02 million new cases and 470,000 deaths.
Additional sessions covered multidisciplinary clinical care, tobacco cessation services, and updates on oral cancer control initiatives from the Maharashtra Public Health Department's NCD Division.
