Category health

By Dr. Aditya Gupta, Director, Neurosurgery and Cyberknife Centre, Agrim institute for neurosciences, Artemis Hospital

Tumors of the spinal cord, due to its hard-to-access locations, pose a major threat to life. And as the tumor grows, it affects the spinal cord, gradually. Depending on the location and the type of tumor, the severity may vary from person to person. The usual symptoms include back pain, loss of sensation especially in legs and arms, difficulty in walking, decrease in body immunity and sensitivity to pain, increase in heat and cold sensitivity, loss of bowel movement control, muscle weakness and paralysis of limbs in extreme cases. Back pain is the early and foremost symptom in both cancerous and noncancerous tumors.

Treatment for spinal tumors remains a challenge in India, due to the reason that only limited technology is available, and also the fact that the spine is sensitive. While surgery is the treatment of choice for such tumors and the prognosis is excellent. Patients show signs of recovery very soon and are able to get back to their normal life quite effectively. With the advanced technology that is available and the advent of the latest cyberknife radiation surgery, treating such complicated tumors has become completely safe and highly effective.

Spinal tumor types

It is the growth of tumour that develops within the bones of spine. It can be Benign or malignant.

There are three common types of tumors that may affect the spinal cord.

1. Intra-medullary Tumors – It develops in cells that are present within the spinal cord. Examples are Astrocytoma and Ependymoma.
2. Extra-medullary Tumors – It develops within the supporting network of cells that are around the spinal cord. This type of tumor affects spinal cord function. Examples are Meningiomas, Schwannomas, Neurofibromas.
3. Vertebral Column Tumors

· Primary Tumors – It occurs in the vertebral column and develops either from the bone or disc of spine. Osteogenic Sarcoma is the bone tumour which comes under this category. These are very rare and grow slowly and typically occur from the age group 21-50.

· Metastatic Tumors – This Tumor spread from one area to another area of the body. The pain is worse and is accompanied by other signs of serious illness such as weight loss, fever, chills, nausea and vomiting.

The growth of any kind of spinal tumor can lead to pain, neurological problems and sometimes, it can be life-threatening and can even cause permanent disability.

In women, spinal tumor spread from cancer cells that originate from breasts or lungs whereas in, in case of Men, it spreads from tumor cells that originate from lungs or prostate.

What are the symptoms?

As the tumor grows, it affects the spinal cord, gradually. Depending on the location and the type of tumor, the severity may vary from person to person. The usual symptoms include back pain, loss of sensation especially in legs and arms, difficulty in walking, decrease in body immunity and sensitivity to pain, increase in heat and cold sensitivity, loss of bowel movement control and muscle weakness. Back pain is the early and the foremost symptom in both cancerous and noncancerous tumors.

Why cyberknife is preferred over other methods of treatment?

Though many other treatment methods may be available for treating spinal tumors but due to the advantage of being totally non-invasive and eliminates the requirement of any kind of anesthetics, cyberknife is a very useful tool saving the patient’s time and helping in better and quicker recovery. Cyberknife radiation surgery is a form of radio surgery that uses precisely targeted radiation to destroy tumors. This system is non-invasive and prevents any kind of blood loss eliminating the need for anesthesia.

Cyberknife radiosurgery is typically not useful in intramedullary tumors (the first type mentioned above) as these are located inside the spinal cord. For extramedullary tumor, Cyberknife is a good option for small tumors that are not causing any compression of the spinal cord, including small residual tumors after surgery. Vertebral column tumors, specially cancer deposits can be successfully treated with Cyberknife unless they are very big, very numerous, or cause spinal cord compression or spinal column instability.

The cyberknife system is unique designed robotic system that delivers high-precision surgical procedures and is flexible in producing radiations is one of the best options for treatment of spinal tumor.

Chennai, 08.02.2023: The Government on announced the appointment of Shri K Satyanarayana Raju as Managing Director and CEO of Canara Bank. He has replaced Shri L V Prabhakar who demitted office on 31 December 2022. The Government of India appointed Shri. K Satyanarayana Raju as MD and CEO with effect from 07.02.2023.

Shri. K Satyanarayana Raju has also served Canara Bank as Executive Director since 10th March 2021.

Shri. K Satyanarayana Raju is a Physics Graduate, Post Graduate in Business Administration (Banking and Finance), and CAIIB.

He joined the erstwhile Vijaya Bank in 1988 and has risen to the level of Chief General Manager in the Bank of Baroda. During his 33 years of long banking career, he has headed various Branches for 12 years including the Specialised Corporate Banking Branch. He was the Regional head of Shimoga, Vijayawada, Hyderabad, and Mumbai. He was also the Zonal Head of the Mumbai Zone which is the Biggest Zone of the Bank. He has also headed Operations and Services Department at Head Officeead He.

He has a very rich and vast experience in all Segments of Banking including Branch Banking, Corporate Credit, Retail Credit, Agri Financing, Credit Monitoring, Credit Recovery, Compliance, etc. Also, his rich experience and exposure led to the digital transformation of Banking products and services.

Bangalore, 8th February 2023:– Observing World Cancer Day, HCG Cancer Centre Bangalore, launched 23 unique initiatives, many of which are first of their kind in India, to encourage improved cancer research and raise the quality of cancer treatment in the country. In addition to these initiatives, HCG spearheaded the hair donation drive, Strands of Hope, as part of the #BaldAndBold campaign. This was organised in partnership with Bengaluru Biker Saviours by Bangalore, making HCG a beacon of courage and kindness for cancer patients nationwide.

On the occasion of World Cancer Day, HCG Bangalore has also organized a “Walkathon” in order to create awareness of the lifestyle changes to be adopted by people to reduce cancer risk. HCG also launched a preventive cancer screening package in order to create awareness and enable early diagnosis. The announcement of these initiatives was concluded by a mega event, including the launch of other initiatives under the leadership of eminent doctors at HCG Cancer Centre, Bangalore. The occasion was also graced by Padmabushan and eminent doctor, Dr G Padmanabhan, along with the doctors and staff at HCG Cancer Centre, Bangalore.

The event marked the launch of HCG International Centre for Biorepository and Biobanking, under the leadership of Dr Vishal Rao, and Dr Abhishek Mohanty, to focus on the collection, preservation, and distribution of biological samples for translational cancer research and personalised medicine. It was followed by the inauguration of HCG Cancer Registry – Centre for Health Informatics and Data analytics in cancer under the leadership of Dr Vishal Rao & Dr Amritanshu Ram for dealing with the collection, analysis, and dissemination of cancer-related patient data to improve cancer treatment, survival outcomes and population health.

Further, the launch of the HCG policy paper on managing AMR and Cancer care under the leadership of Dr Chintan K is anticipated to address the challenges of antibiotic resistance in cancer care and propose solutions to improve patient outcomes.

Speaking on the occasion, Ms Manisha Kumar, COO, of HCG Cancer Centre Bengaluru, said, “India has recently made crucial headway and advancements in the field of cancer care. HCG group has been a pioneer in the field of specialised cancer treatment and our centres of excellence in Bangalore have set new standards of diagnosis and treatment of patients not only while in the hospital but also in improving their quality of life after they are discharged. Enabled by the world’s latest cutting-edge technology such as Adaptive Radiotherapy, Cyberknife, Genomics and Gene therapy and Robotic Onco surgeries coupled with a multidisciplinary approach to the treatment of patients, our endeavour is to ensure excellence in clinical outcomes and a high level of patient care. On this occasion, we have taken up initiatives to create awareness among people on prevention and early diagnosis of cancer and also among the clinical fraternity about the precision oncology work we are doing.”

Cancer, as a disease, is a difficult battle that requires tremendous mental fortitude to overcome. The hair donation drive recognized the generosity of so many hair donors who have come forward to donate their strands of love, joy, and best wishes to cancer patients, to make society a better place to live.

Mumbai: The number of cancer cases is increasing in all age groups. It is not uncommon to see children detected with cancers anymore. Childhood cancer survivors tend to encounter sleep-related problems. Hence, insomnia and daytime sleepiness as adults are commonly seen as a result owing to emotional stress due to cancer and its treatment. A minimum of 8 hrs of sleep is an absolute must for optimal function. During this time, our body diverts attention to healing and important body functions. For cancer patients specifically, this time is needed to recuperate from the effects of cancer and its treatment as well.

A cancer diagnosis is upsetting at any age, but particularly so when the patient is a child. The most common types of cancer in children ages 0 to 14 years are leukemias, brain and other central nervous systems (CNS) tumors, and lymphomas. The type of treatment for the child depends on the type of cancer and its stage. Common treatments are in the form of surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and immunotherapy. There are many side effects of cancer treatments such as poor appetite, constipation, fatigue, diarrhea, vomiting, and nausea. Moreover, as childhood cancer survivors may also experience sleep problems as they grow

“Sleep disorders are seen in those detected with cancer. The tumors, treatment, certain drugs, being admitted to the hospital for a long time, stress owing to cancer diagnosis, and other health problems apart from cancer can be unsettling for the child which can invite sleep problems in later life. The common sleep issues reported are insomnia means the inability to fall asleep, sleep apnea wherein the breathing stops while sleeping, hypersomnia is being unable to stay awake during the day and circadian rhythm disorders are issues with the sleep-wake cycle, making you unable to sleep and wake at the right times.”

“Sleep problems are prevalent in children detected with cancer as they become older. They are often linked to pain and distress. One will find it challenging to focus on his/her daily activities. They will not be able to follow instructions, will be fatigued, sleepy, lazy, inactive, irritated, and have trouble making decisions. Tackling disrupted sleep in these survivors can help in enhancing long-term psychological functioning and getting sound sleep at night.”

“To induce sleep, one should practice relaxation techniques such as medication, limit screen time before bed, take a warm shower, keep a peaceful sleep environment and the room should be dark, cut down on caffeine, soak up in the sun, and follow the same sleep and wake-up time. Moreover, exercising on a regular basis can help one get a good sleep at night. But, one will have to exercise under the guidance of a trainer and avoid going overboard.”