Radiation oncologist Dr. Sandeep Kumar Tula stressed the
importance of early detection and HPV vaccination at a cancer awareness session
in Hyderabad, stating that widespread immunisation can prevent up to 90 per
cent of HPV-related cancers, including cervical cancer.
Hyderabad: Early detection and vaccination against
cancer are not options; they are lifelines. HPV-related cancers are among the
most preventable cancers that people face today, said Dr. Sandeep Kumar Tula, a
prominent Radiation Oncologist and founder of SKT Foundation.
Speaking at a cancer
awareness session recently organised at the Osmania Arts College here, Dr.
Sandeep said Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is a group of over 100 virus strains,
of which high-risk types, particularly HPV 16 and 18 are responsible for nearly
70 percent of cervical cancers worldwide.
What makes HPV especially dangerous, Dr. Tula explained, is
its ability to remain asymptomatic for years, silently triggering cellular
changes before cancer is detected. “Survival rates can exceed 90 percent when
cancer is caught early,” he noted, adding that late-stage diagnosis drastically
reduces outcomes.
“HPV vaccination can prevent up to 90 percent of
related cancers if adopted widely,” he said, urging parents, educators and
policymakers to treat it as a public health priority.