Activities :

The department works largely in five different areas.

(1) Cancer Screening OPD

(2) Cancer Registry Programme

(3) Community Outreach Activity

(4) Cancer Epidemiology

(5) HPV Vaccine Project

(1) Cancer Screening OPD:

Cancer Screening OPD has been started in October 2021. The primary objective of starting this OPD is to promote cancer awareness, cancer screening and early detection of cancer. In this OPD, we are doing cancer screening for asymptomatic individuals and patient's relative coming to GCRI.

In year 2022, we have registered 16,058 beneficiaries in this OPD. Self-breast examination was taught to 5694 females, mammography was done for 520 females, 859 females were examined for PAP smear test / Liquid base cytology test. Beneficiaries were also advised on tobacco cessation. Around 1200+ beneficiaries were identified to have pre-cancerous condition like leukoplakia, Erythroplakia, cervical lesion, lump and others. In this OPD, we have screened 29 confirmed cases for cancer. All these screened patients are being followed to take further treatment.

Colposcopy Test: In year 2022, we have started doing colposcopy test within our department. All female beneficiaries identified with suspected cervical lesions are screened through colposcopy and confirmed cases are then referred to Gynec oncology department for further treatment. In 2022, we have done more than 50 colposcopy check-up within Institute as well as in community outreach camps.

Auto fluorescence Device for Screening Oral Cancers: We have also procured auto fluorescence device through which we are screening oral cancer cases.

(2) Cancer Registry Programme:

Cancer registry plays a major role in ensuring good quality cancer data which can be helpful in cancer care, planning of health service and cancer control programmes. The department has been maintaining following cancer registries under the network of National Cancer Registry Programme (NCRP) - National Centre for Disease Informatics and Research (NCDIR) - Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Bengaluru.

a. Hospital Based Cancer Registry
b. Rural Cancer Registry – Ahmedabad district and
c. Population Based Cancer Registry – Ahmedabad Urban Agglomeration Area

a. Hospital Based Cancer Registry: The hospital based cancer registry has been functioning since long as per the standards and norms prescribed by the National Cancer Registry Programme (NCRP) of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). From January 2014, the National Cancer Registry Programme (NCRP)-National Centre for Disease Informatics and Research (NCDIR) - Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) sanctioned the project “Hospital Based Cancer Registry and Patterns of Care and Survival Studies on Cancer Breast, Cancer Cervix and Head and Neck Cancers at our Institute. The broad objective of this study is to assess quality of hospital care and cancer services in covered area and to describe length and quality of survival in relation to anatomical site, clinical stage and aspects of types of treatment and to undertake epidemiological research through short term case control studies.

Activities: Case file abstraction and quality checks for the year 2021 have been completed. Case file abstraction and online data entry work for the year 2022 is in progress.

b. Rural Cancer Registry – Ahmedabad district: It has been functioning since the year 2004 under the network of NCRP-NCDIR, ICMR, Govt. of India with the objective of assessing the magnitude and types of cancers in Ahmedabad rural areas and to calculate estimate of cancer incidence in Ahmedabad district.

Activities: Work of cancer data collection from various sources for the year 2021 and 2022 is in progress.

c. Population Based Cancer Registry-Ahmedabad Urban Agglomeration Area: It has been functioning since the year 2007 under the network of NCRP-NCDIR, ICMR, Govt. of India with the objective of assessing the magnitude and types of cancers in Ahmedabad city and to calculate estimate of cancer incidence in Ahmedabad urban area.

Activities: Case files abstraction and outside data collection for the year 2021 is completed. Work for the year 2022 is in progress.

3. Community Outreach Activity

Two types of Cancer Camps are conducted by the department.
a. Cancer awareness camps
b. Cancer Screening camps

a. Cancer awareness camps: The department organizes cancer awareness camps with the objectives of promoting awareness about the risks of common cancers and their curability if detected early in the community. During these camps, common cancers are discussed and natural history, warning signs and symptoms of cancer are explained to the visitors. Self-examination methods are emphasized particularly of oral cavity with need for quitting tobacco. Method of breast self-examination is also propagated among women visitors. Awareness about cancer is created by distribution of publicity material like pamphlets, posters, flip charts, exhibition, and audio-visual programmes.

b. Cancer Screening camps: The objective of the detection camp is to detect cancers in their early stage especially oral cancers in men and breast and cervical cancers in women. Suspicious cases were referred to GCRI for further diagnostic and therapeutic care. A high tech cancer screening mobile van (Sanjeevani Rath) was launched in the year 2009 to detect the cancer patients in their early stages of the ailment, especially in rural areas. The expert team identifies suspected cases of possible cancer and if needed, refers them to GCRI for further evaluation. This mobile cancer screening van is equipped with advanced mammography machine which is very useful to detect breast cancer - the most common cancer found in women in their very early stage.

4. Cancer Epidemiology:

The statisticians of the department help doctor and researchers for statistical analysis of their studies. They provide various data to the doctors and researchers for their dissertation / research work. Various statistical data and reports are also provided to the Administration and Government as and when required. In the year 2022, a total of 91 GCRI staff requested for data retrieval and 28 GCRI staff were assisted for their statistical analysis work.

5. HPV Vaccine Project: The Gujarat Cancer and Research Institute is having a collaborative research agreement with International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), Lyon, France and working on a project named “Implementation plan for extended follow-up of the participants of IARC- Indian HPV vaccination study to evaluate the effectiveness of one, two and three doses of Quadrivalent HPV vaccine in preventing cervical neoplasias”.

Activities: As project is extended for follow-up phase, follow-up activities of vaccinated participants and unvaccinated participants are going on. All the samples for cervical smears are transferred to Rajiv Gandhi Center for Biotechnology, Thiruvanthapuram and HPV-DNA (HC-2) samples are transferred to Pune as and when suggested by IARC. As per project amendment each site has to recruit more control. GCRI has obtained Ethics Committee approval for this amendment and after training from IARC, recruitment of new control has been started.