A large turnout of health conscious people thronged the premises of the Times of India office at Nandanam, Chennai. The check-up included height and weight measurement, blood pressure testing and pulmonary function test, which checks the wellbeing of the respiratory system and lung chest wall mechanics to determine whether the patient has a lung problem. The test was followed up with a free consultation with the General Physician Dr. Thilagavathy Sukumar. “Chronic coughs, coughing out blood and stark change in voice are all signs that help detecting lung cancer. Upon diagnosis, the patient should really opt for a full evaluation including an X-ray, PET scan and a CT scan. Many people refrain themselves from being tested due to the fear of knowing the complexity of the disease. This free check-up will enable people to have a broad idea about the preventive measures to be taken and be prepared in case of any early detection of the illness,” she says.
Those who participated in the check-up had a positive outlook upon receiving their consultation says Mr.M.Sethukumaran, who attended the camp, “I had taken a full heart check-up at Apollo six months ago and when I heard of this free camp, I decided to appear for this as well. These camps are a good way of making people, especially youngsters aware of their health.”
Apollo has regularly organized numerous camps, along with many marathons and health awareness talks over the years to spread awareness about early detection of cancer . Dr.T.Raja,Senior Consultant, Medical Oncology at Apollo Cancer Hospital , Chennai says, “Lung cancer is not just contracted by smokers. Even non- smokers are equally at danger. Mutations in the cells of the lungs through genetic conditioning cause the cells to become cancerous. Early detection ensures that these changes are forced to mutate because of carcinogens that are absorbed by the lungs. We, at Apollo, believe that the early detection is the best strategy for any country to follow when it comes to tackling this illness.
