‘Robotic surgery will work wonders in cancer treatment’
Cancer has been one of the most enigmatic topics in the field of healthcare. Most of us know cancer as a dreadful disease. But there’s a lot more that we should know about it, especially about the advancements in treatment, including the latest ‘ robotic surgery’, and its next step, ‘ Artificial Intelligence’. In an interview, Dr. Deshpande, a well-known surgeon, who has sepcialised in surgical oncology and robotic surgery, shares his experience and knowledge about cancer treatment as October is observed all over the world as the ‘Breast Cancer Awareness Month’.
Q- What is the current scenario in India?
A- Cancer is the 2nd leading cause of death in the entire world. According the WHO, 1 in 6 deaths globally is because of cancer. According to the Indian Council of Medical Research, in India, 1 woman dies of cervical cancer every 8 minutes. For every 2 females diagnosed with breast cancer 1 woman dies in India. Due to tobacco, more than 3,500 people are affected in India everyday. By 2025, there will be more than 15 lakh cancer cases, which means 1 out of 10 Indians will suffer from the disease and 1 out of 15 will lose the battle. But the positive part is that if we are aware and receive treatment early, cancer can be treated.
Q- October is known as the ‘Breast Cancer Awareness Month’. Why is the disease on the rise?
A- There are many factors that lead to certain types of cancer. These factors can be divided into 3 types- vulnerable factors, contributing factors and direct factors. Taking the e.g. of breast cancer, the vulnerable factors can be early menses or alte menopause while contributing factors can be lack of exercise, excess alcoholism, injection of pesticide or chemicals. The direct factors are radiation and inherent mutations ( if the genes are present, they can be considered as direct factors). These are the various factors that increase the chances of breast cancer in women.Q- Are there any tests to determine whether a person is at risk of a particular cancer?
A- Knowing the basic cause of cancer or knowing how to identify the basic symptoms can save lives. For e.g., if your immediate relatives have cancer or many people from one side of the family have some type of cancer, consult a doctor for genetic counselling. Self-examination in case of breast cancer or even pap-smear test for cervical cancer should be encouraged after a certain age. Robotic surgery, personalized oncology, immune therapy, liquid biopsy and many more advancements in cancer treatment are boosting the self-esteem of patients.
Q- What is robotic surgery all about?
A- There are 3 important treatments for cancer. Medical oncology is treating cancer through medical processes like chemotherapy, radiation oncology involves radiation therapy to target cancer tumour. Finally surgical oncology deals with the surgical aspects like ‘ how do you remove cancer from the body through operations? This process takes care of the parts affected by cancer as well as potential organs where the disease might spread. It needs better vision, greater precision, improved dexterity and tremor filtration. Robotic surgery has all these plus points.
Q- If the robot performs the surgery, then what does the surgeon do?
A- A lot of skepticism as well as apprehension loomed over this very concept of the introduction of an alien hand for dealing with human life. But we must understand that robotic surgery is performed on the concept of master-slave. The robot follows the directions of the surgeon. Ultimately, human intelligence is using the special abilities of the machine but with full control over it. The robot can show the 3 D view/ high definition image with depth perception to the surgeon. It gives a 360-degree views ensures intuitive movements, the robotic hand can move 7 degrees more than human hand. A robotic surgery has much such advantages.
Q- What are the advantages of robotic surgery?
A- Loss blood loss during the procedure, decreased hospital stay, less painful surgery, smaller scars, better cosmesis, better dissection and retrieval for cancer patients and shorter post-operative recovery are some big benefits. The patient may resume work early. These are some patient-specific benefits.
Q- How does the cost factor work in robotic surgery and is it covered under health insurance?
A- The cost issue is important. Robotic technology can lead to increase in cost because doctors have to pay not only for the one-time cost of robots but also for the maintenance of technology. But the cost will reduce in the coming days as the technology will get more acceptance. We have very few trained robotic surgeons in Central India. Very few hospitals have robots. It’s a thing of the future and we must accept it.
Q- What is the future of robotic surgery?
A- Robotic surgery is evolving. It is here to stay. The time has come to welcome this new technology with open arms and open minds. The present incorporated technologies have definitely channelised the zeal and enthusiasm towards lesser interventions with maximum benefits. Another exciting branch, which is the extension of the current advancements is artificial intelligence. The coming years would solve the enigma surrounding AI. A lot of excitement and optimism surrounding robotics would eventually unfold in the future.