Activities :

The department works largely in four different areas.

(1) Cancer Registry Programme

(2) Cancer Control Programme

(3) Cancer Epidemiology

(4) HPV Vaccine Project

(1) Cancer Registry Programme:

Cancer registry plays a major role in ensuring good quality cancer data which can be helpful in cancer care, planning of health service and cancer control programmes. The department has been maintaining following cancer registries under the network of National Cancer Registry Programme (NCRP) - National Centre for Disease Informatics and Research (NCDIR) - Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Bengaluru.

a. Hospital Based Cancer Registry
b. Population Based Cancer Registry – Ahmedabad Rural Cancer Registry
c. Population Based Cancer Registry Ahmedabad Urban Agglomeration Area

a. Hospital Based Cancer Registry:The hospital based cancer registry has been functioning since long as per the standards and norms prescribed by the National Cancer Registry Programme (NCRP) of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). From January 2014, the National Cancer Registry Programme (NCRP)-National Centre for Disease Informatics and Research (NCDIR) - Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) sanctioned the project “Hospital Based Cancer Registry and Patterns of Care and Survival Studies on Cancer Breast, Cancer Cervix and Head and Neck Cancers at our Institute. The broad objectives of this study is to assess quality of hospital care and cancer services in covered area and to describe length and quality of survival in relation to anatomical site, clinical stage and aspects of types of treatment and to undertake epidemiological research through short term case control studies.

Activities:Case file abstraction and quality checks for the year 2016 have been completed. Case file abstraction and online data entry work for the year 2017 is in progress.

b. Population Based Cancer Registry– Ahmedabad Rural Cancer Registry: Ahmedabad district Project: It has been functioning since the year 2004 under the network of NCRP-NCDIR, ICMR, Govt. of India with the objective of assessing the magnitude and types of cancers in Ahmedabad rural areas and to calculate estimate of cancer incidence in Ahmedabad district.

Activities: Work of cancer data collection from various sources for the year 2017 and 2018 is in progress.
c. Population Based Cancer Registry Ahmedabad Urban Agglomeration Area:It has been functioning since the year 2007 under the network of NCRP-NCDIR, ICMR, Govt. of India with the objective of assessing the magnitude and types of cancers in Ahmedabad city and to calculate estimate of cancer incidence in Ahmedabad urban area. Case files abstraction and outside data collection for the year 2016 is completed. Work for the year 2017 and 2018 is in progress.

(2) Cancer Control Programme:

The department runs cancer control programme as per the aim and objectives laid down by National Cancer Control Programme, Government of India. The department organizes various cancer awareness and detection camps for primary prevention of cancers by health education especially hazards of tobacco consumption and necessity of genital hygiene for prevention of cervical cancers and secondary prevention i.e. early detection and diagnosis of cancers.
Three types of Cancer Camps are held by the department.
a. Cancer awareness camps
b. Mobile cancer screening van (Sanjeevani Rath) cancer detection camps
c. Cancer detection camps without Sanjeevani Rath

a. Cancer awareness camps: The department organizes cancer awareness camps with the objectives of promoting awareness about the risks of common cancers and their curability if detected early in the community. During these camps, knowledge on cancer like its causes and natural history, warning signs and symptoms of cancer are explained to the visitors. Self-examination methods are emphasized particularly of oral cavity with need for quitting tobacco. Method of breast self-examination is also propagated among women visitors. Awareness about cancer is created by distribution of publicity material like pamphlets, posters, flip charts, exhibition and audio-visual programmes. In a year 2017-18, a total of 22 education camps (Cancer Exhibition) were organized.

b. Mobile cancer screening van (Sanjeevani Rath) cancer detection camps: A high tech cancer screening mobile van (Sanjeevani Rath) was launched in the year 2009 to detect the cancer patients in their early stages of the ailment, especially in rural areas. The expert team identifies suspected cases of possible cancer and if needed, refers them to GCRI for further evaluation. This mobile cancer screening van is equipped with advanced mammography machine which is very useful to detect breast cancer - the most common cancer found in women in their very early stage.A total of 48mobile cancer screening van (Sanjeevani Rath) camps were organized in various places of Gujarat state during 2017-18.

c. Cancer detection camps without Sanjeevani Rath: Department involves in arrangement of cancer detection camps at various places in Gujarat. The objectives of the detection camps are to detect cancers in their early stage especially oral cancers in men and breast and cervical cancers in women. Suspicious cases were referred to GCRI for further diagnostic and therapeutic care. In 2017, 16 cancer awareness camps and 64 cancer detection camps were organized. During these 64 cancer detection camps, a total of 613 mammography and 2168 PAP smear examinations were performed.

3. Cancer Epidemiology: The statisticians of the department help doctors and researchers for statistical analysis of their studies. It provides various data to the doctors and researchers for their dissertation / research work. Various statistical data and reports are also provided to the Administration and Government as and when required. In the year 2017, a total of 54 GCRI staff requested for data retrieval and 8 GCRI staff were assisted for their statistical analysis work.

4. HPV Vaccine Project: The Gujarat Cancer and Research Institute is having a collaborative research agreement with International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), Lyon, France and working on a project named “Implementation plan for extended follow-up of the participants of IARC- Indian HPV vaccination study to evaluate the effectiveness of one, two and three doses of Quadrivalent HPV vaccine in preventing cervical neoplasias”.
Activities: As project is extended for follow-up phase, follow-up activities of vaccinated participants and unvaccinated participants are going on. All the cervical cell samples are transferred to Rajiv Gandhi Center for Biotechnology and HC-2 samples are transferred to Pune as and when suggested by IARC. As per project amendment each site has to recruit more control. GCRI has obtained Ethics Committee approval for this amendment and after training from IARC in August -2017, recruitment of new control has been started.