Leading surgeons and oncologists of the country gathered in New Delhi to discuss the approach to various cancers and their management strategies at the first edition of UCMS Surgical Oncology Update-2017 that was inaugurated last week. The two-day symposium, organised by University College of Medical Sciences and Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital was a symposium on recent advances in surgical oncology and a master video workshop, held at the India Islamic Culture Centre, Lodhi Road. The programme aimed at training of post graduate residents as well as the surgical oncology trainees and saw the attendance of over two hundred participants from across the country.
Inaugurating the conference, the Chief Guest, Prof. NK Shukla, Professor and Head, Department of Cancer Surgery, BRAIRCH, AIIMS, New Delhi said that cancer is fast becoming one of the leading causes of mortality in our country and it is important to sensitise the budding surgeons to the magnitude of the problem so that they may develop interest in pursuing work in this field.
Dr S.V.S. Deo, Professor at AIIMS Delhi said that surgery is quickest, cheapest and effective treatment modality of cancer compared to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Dr Mahesh Goel. Professor at Tata memorial Hospital (TMH), Mumbai also highlighted the role of surgery in gallbladder cancer which is commonly seen in India.
This year, the UCMS Surgical Oncology Update presented 11 sessions each focusing on a different oncology subspeciality like head and neck cancer, breast cancer, gastric cancer, lung cancer, among others. “The conference would raise the level of practice of surgical oncology in the country for better patient care, keeping true to its objective of ‘Conquering Cancer’”, said the organising Secretary, Dr. Pankaj Kumar Garg, a cancer surgeon at UCMS and GTB Hospital.