EASHNO 2015 - A deliberation into
Tobacco Control, Head & Neck Cancer
If I had been given the
awareness about tobacco like this years ago, I would have protected myself from
the devastating effects of tobacco". These were the words of a victim of
tobacco named Shankar Narayanan from Chennai at the EASHNO 2015 forum held at
Tamil Nadu Government Multi Super Specialty Hospital.
Due to his tobacco
consumption he developed mouth cancer and had to undergo tongue surgery which
resulted in difficulty in speaking. Eminent National and International Doctors,
Speakers and Activists working for tobacco control gathered in Chennai
yesterday (04 January 2015) at the EASHNO 2015 to deliberate on Tobacco Control
and Head & Neck Cancer.
The fourth edition of the
Eurasian Head & Neck Cancer Forum (EASHNO 2015) was conducted in
conjunction with the XIX EAFO Oncopathology Seminar 'Head & Neck Tumors'
and IV Kocher's Symposium on Thyroid Cancer. The events concluded with a
Special Session on Tobacco Control and Press Meet.
The special session on
tobacco control was handled by Dr. Subramania Iyer, President, EASHNO, India;
Dr. Pankaj Chaturvedi, Professor, Head and Neck Surgeon, Tata Memorial
Hospital, Mumbai; Dr. Arvind Krishnamurthy, Chair, Organizing Committee, India;
Dr. Somasundaram Subramanian, Director, Eurasian Federation of Oncology,
Moscow, Russian Federation; Dr. Robert J. Baatenburg, Head and Neck Surgery
Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Dr. Jan B. Vermorken, Antwerp
University Hospital, Antwerp, Belgium; S. Cyril Alexander, Executive Director
of MACT; Dr. Jeyakumar Duraikannu, Professor, Consultant, Surgical Oncology,
Tamil Nadu Government Multi Super Specialty Hospital, India and Dr. Ramesh
Mahalingam, RMO, Tamil Nadu Government Multi Super Specialty Hospital, India
Director, Eurasian
Federation of Oncology, Moscow, Russian Federation Dr. Somasundaram Subramanian
in his speech mentioned that physicians have an important role to play in
tobacco control and applauded the initiatives taken so far. Dr. Pankaj
Chaturvedi focused on the challenges that are being faced in the strategies
related to tobacco control at the national level.
He was also appreciated
for receiving the "Sushrutha Award 2015" for successful campaign to
control oral cancer in India by Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam. Dr. Jan B. Vermorken
stressed that it is the need of the hour to combat and control head & neck
cancer among us.
While at the state level,
Organizing Committee Arvind Krishnamurthy mentioned that there has been any
increase in the number of people affected with tobacco related diseases. Dr.
Jeyakumar Duraikannu appreciated the Tamil Nadu Government for their support
towards tobacco control and mentioned that the Multi Super Specialty Hospital is
giving inputs on tobacco control which the Government of Tamil Nadu are
receptive about.
The session ended with an
embarrassing note, when the International Guests shared that they had seen
tobacco control violations in presence in the form of smoking in public places,
chewing tobacco and so on. They believed that implementation of tobacco control
rules was effective in India and they were quite saddened to see such
violations taking place in front of them.
It leaves a question in
people's mind as to when will all the stake holders of tobacco control come
together to eradicate tobacco and its consequences.
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