Addressing India’s growing cancer burden through advanced technology and robotics

Over the last few decades, India has made significant advancements in healthcare delivery. As a result, the sector, one of the largest by employment opportunities and revenue, has been growing briskly. With numerous comprehensive initiatives by the government and private institutions, healthcare has become an important cornerstone in India’s development plan, with a strong commitment to reducing the overall disease burden.

While these initiatives are gaining traction, India continues to face a severe challenge of rising non-communicable disease burden with the contribution of diseases such as cancer incidence increasing with time. In addition, access and affordability to cancer treatment is still an issue, especially for the lower income groups. Even when free cancer screening is available high-risk groups may not take it very well. Therefore, it is vital to better understand patient preferences, early treatment facilitators, social barriers, and enablers of cancer care in India, in addition to providing affordable and accessible healthcare.

We are aware that cancer has the ability to impact a person’s life on a physical, emotional, and financial level in a manner that few other illnesses can. Unfortunately, due to late detection, inadequate and unbalanced access to multimodality, and low affordability, India’s high incidence problem is further exacerbated, leading to a heavy mortality load. If the unpleasant reality of a fast-rising incidence of cancer is not addressed effectively and immediately, it could become a serious issue for the country.

Early detection leads to better cancer care through surgical management

Emerging economies like India have a large number of cancer patients who could benefit from advanced and effective minimally invasive care. Robotic-assisted surgery (RAS) is one such minimally invasive surgical innovation catalysing a paradigm shift in the approach to minimally invasive surgical procedures owing to its clinical benefits and becoming one of the most sophisticated precision tools. RAS research has aimed to provide better patient outcomes and care team experience at the most optimal total cost to treatment.

The transition of cancer patients from primary and secondary care to oncology hospitals may be fraught with several logistical difficulties. At a psychological level, the patients and families also go through an emotional journey. In addition, the financial impact of cancer care is a serious issue for many patients who must fund their treatment.

Today, surgical devices companies that have been effectively investing in the ecosystem for over 2 decades are already transforming the way surgeries take place for both surgeons and patients. Furthermore, advanced technologies like the RAS system can also help address the healthcare burden, with the potential of faster patient recovery, lesser chances for infection and shorter hospital stay, allowing for optimised utilisation of critical resources such as operation theatres and hospital beds, along with the surgeon’s ability to perform more procedures.

Additionally, with the potential to standardise surgical procedures and usher in a new era of growth in minimally invasive care, the industry is witnessing a greater interest in adoption of the technology among surgeons across the country.

It has also been seen that the overall cost, including pre and post-operative care associated with RAS procedures, is lower than traditional open surgery with similar or better outcomes, resulting in a substantial improvement in value for the patients. [1]

Today, the global emphasis on the management of diseases is focused on ‘patient centricity’ and better ‘patient outcomes, with significant research being done in the field of medical technology and surgical technology over the last few decades. The financial growth in the surgical market over the years is also evidence of the acceptance of research that focuses on patient outcomes and centricity.

As we move forward, cancer care would include an integrated ‘Ecosystem’ that ‘surrounds’ and supports the care teams through training, incremental technological advancements, and building clinical evidence to help bridge the current clinical gaps in delivering critical care with potentially better patient outcomes.

Such support also helps broaden a surgeon’s understanding of clinical outcomes derived from advanced treatment modalities through peer-to-peer learning. Additionally, using AI and ML in surgery will drive greater efficiency, and value and potentially reduce surgical variability, helping unlock new experiences and opportunities for providers and patients.

This will be discussed at length during the upcoming FICCI HEAL Conference.

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