The AIIMS Bhopal has been actively promoting awareness on childhood cancer through several programs over the past month. In continuation of these efforts, AIIMS Bhopal recently collaborated with Sarojini Naidu Government Girls PG College to conduct a comprehensive awareness program focusing on childhood cancer and women's health.
Prof. (Dr.) Ajai Singh, Executive Director of AIIMS Bhopal, remarked, "Our efforts to raise awareness about childhood cancer aim to equip communities with the knowledge to recognize early symptoms and seek timely medical intervention. We believe in the power of collaboration, and initiatives like these enable us to spread critical health information far and wide."
During the event, Dr. Narendra Chaudhary, Pediatric Hematologist Oncologist at AIIMS Bhopal, highlighted the critical importance of early diagnosis in childhood cancer. He explained that prolonged fever, anemia, bleeding, bone pain, enlarged lymph nodes, liver, and spleen, unexplained weight loss, and gum hypertrophy are common symptoms of blood cancer in children.
Dr. Chaudhary further emphasized, "Children often have better outcomes than adults and tolerate chemotherapy well. Despite potential side effects, chemotherapy saves lives in most cases, and without treatment, the disease is invariably fatal."
Dr. Akanksha Chaudhary, Medical Oncologist at AIIMS Bhopal, spoke on the importance of awareness regarding common adult cancers, particularly cervical and breast cancer, which are frequently observed in women. She stressed the preventive potential of the cervical cancer vaccine, advising that "Girls aged 9 to 14 should receive two doses, while those between 15 and 26 should receive three doses to ensure protection."
The program witnessed enthusiastic participation from the college's faculty and students, with an interactive discussion addressing prevalent misconceptions about cancer.
A quiz on the Kahoot platform followed the discussions, where Pratiksha Marco secured the first prize, Bhakti Bhadoriya won the second prize, and Madhavi Thapa took the third prize. Expressing his gratitude for the collaborative effort, Dr. Surendra Bihari Goswami, Principal of Sarojini Naidu College, thanked Prof. (Dr.) Ajai Singh and his team for extending AIIMS Bhopal's awareness initiatives beyond its campus.
