With advancement of technology, it is now possible to identify micro changes in the tissue and cells when the cancer is at a very early stage and it can be completely cured, even without surgery, says Dr. Pankaj N. Desai, a nationally known Gastroenterologist from Sids Hospital, Surat.

The new technology which include Narrow Band Imaging (NBI) and High Resolution Endoscopy make it possible to see the cell  structure and micro and macro blood vessels inside and beneath the cell and diagnose the cancer at a early stage when it is localized and has not spread to other parts of the body, Dr Desai said.

NBI uses a narrow spectrum of white light, magnifying the image to see the micro changes and easily diagnose cancer, Dr. Desai said while addressing a news conference held at Bhubaneshwar on June 9. Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection (ESD) is another technology which makes it possible to completely treat the cancer endoscopically without resorting to open surgery. ESD is the endoscopic surgical technique done from inside through the normal opening.

“The surgeries are extremely cost effective, done safely without any requirement of blood and the patient can be discharged from  hospital the next day,” he said Dr Desai is here as the Resource Person at a two-day workshop being held at the Institute of Medical Sciences and SUM Hospital, faculty of medicine of the SOA (Deemed to be University) here from June 9. “This training will greatly benefit the surgeons of Odisha in conducting the procedures,” he said.

Dr. Manoj Kumar Sahu, Head of the department of Gastroenterology at the IMS and SUM Hospital, who was present, said facilities for NBI and ESD were available in his department and the procedures were being done successfully. The patients who had undergone the procedures after being detected with cancer at an early stage, were having no problem, he said.