Cancer Drug Kerala Case: Cancer is one of the most serious and deadly diseases in the world. In such a situation, it is very important for the patients to get the right treatment and life-saving medicines on time, but when the treatment is expensive and the matter related to it remains stuck in the legal process for a long time, then it can have a direct impact on the life of the patient. One such case has come to light from the Kerala High Court.

Here, the petition demanding to make the life-saving cancer drug Ribociclib available at a cheaper rate was listed for hearing 57 times, but the last hearing could not be held. During this time the petitioner woman died. Now an appeal has been made to the Chief Justice of India to conduct an early hearing in this matter, so that a decision can be taken soon on this important matter related to access to medicines. This case is also raising questions on patients’ access to expensive cancer medicines and the speed of the judicial process.

Cancer patient kept fighting court case while waiting for medicine

This petition was filed in the Kerala High Court in June 2022. Its objective was to make the life-saving breast cancer drug Ribociclib affordable for common patients. From January 2023 till now, this case has been listed for final hearing 57 times, but the final arguments could not be held on any date. Meanwhile, the petitioner woman died, however, even after the death of the woman, the Kerala High Court, considering this matter to be in the interest of the common people, decided to continue hearing it at its level even after the death of the petitioner.

What was the demand made in the petition?

In the petition, a demand was made from the Central Government to issue a Government Use License under Section 100 of the Patent Act. If this were the case, then the generic version of this medicine could have been made in India and its price could have been reduced by 90 to 95 percent. It was told that at present the price of Ribociclib is around Rs 78,400 per month, while the price of another drug Abemaciclib is said to be Rs 47,700 to Rs 95,500 per month.

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What answer did the government give?

The government acknowledged that ribociclib is an effective drug, but refused to issue a government use license. The government said that the situation of breast cancer cannot be considered in the category of national emergency. The petitioners argue that the right to health is a part of the right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the government to ensure affordable access to medicines. The central government, drug manufacturing companies and other parties have filed their detailed replies in the court in the case. The court had also appointed an amicus curiae in this case. The working group says that the arguments of all the parties and the reports sought under the court have been submitted. Even after this, the final decision has not yet been taken on the constitutional questions related to access to medicines.

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Cancer Drug Shortage: These days, a new concern has emerged for patients and their families suffering from a serious disease like cancer. There are reports of shortage of some essential medicines used in chemotherapy in many hospitals of the country. Doctors say that medicines like Cisplatin and Carboplatin play an important role in the treatment of many types of cancer. Due to this shortage, there are obstacles in the treatment of cancer patients across the country. Let us tell you that both these medicines are considered very important for the treatment of lung, cervix, ovary, and head and neck cancer. At many places, patients and their families are wandering from one medical store to another in search of medicines. The concern of the doctors is that if the medicine is not received on time, the chemotherapy sessions of the patients will have to be postponed or some other method of treatment will have to be found.

Why are these medicines special?

Platinum based drugs like Cisplatin and Carboplatin are considered the backbone of cancer treatment. They are used in the treatment of lung, breast, cervical, ovarian, oral and many other types of cancer. In many cases, these medicines are the main part of the patient’s treatment. But at present there is a huge shortage of them in the country. It is believed that the main reasons for this crisis are the shortage of raw materials (API), increasing manufacturing costs of companies and the impact of supply chains across the world. Also, according to experts, the ongoing tension in West Asia and the huge rise in platinum prices have further increased this problem. Initially the hospitals managed with their old stock, but now that too has been exhausted. Doctors are forced to change the chemotherapy schedule and treatment methods of patients, which is extremely worrying in terms of the patients’ chances of recovery.

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Paragraph format focusing on statements from doctors and experts

Due to this shortage of medicines, the situation in big hospitals of the country has become very serious. Dr. MD Ray, surgical oncologist of AIIMS, Delhi, said that non-availability of these essential medicines can spoil the entire treatment plan of cancer patients, which can have a negative impact on the survival rate of the patients and increases the risk of the disease returning. At the same time, Dr. Shyam Garg, Chairman of the Medical Oncology Department of Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, has warned that the situation is so serious that there is hardly only one or two days’ stock left in the hospital.

The most important thing for patients and families

Doctors say that patients do not need to panic, but it is important to remain alert. If a patient is being treated with these medicines, then he should keep in touch with his doctor and keep getting information from time to time about the availability of the medicine. Under no circumstances should any change in treatment be made without doctor’s advice.

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Vitamin D Benefits: Earlier, the risk of cancer was seen only in older people, but in today’s time, everyone, whether children or youth, is falling prey to it. At the same time, chemotherapy is a common treatment for cancer, but its results are not the same in every patient. Meanwhile, a new study has shown a ray of hope. Research has revealed that the dose of a particular vitamin can reduce the risk of death from cancer to a great extent. The special thing is that it is not expensive like chemotherapy, but it is easily available Vitamin D. Scientists believe that taking Vitamin D in the right quantity strengthens the immunity in the body, which can provide better results in the treatment of diseases like cancer.

Big revelation in Brazilian research

A research regarding this was done at Sao Paulo State University of Brazil. In this research, 80 women above 45 years of age suffering from blood cancer, who were about to undergo chemotherapy, were included. For research, women were divided into two groups, in which one group was given 2,000 IU of Vitamin D daily. On the other hand, the second group was given placebo pills, that is, ineffective pills. After this process of 6 months, the result that came surprised even all the scientists.

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Better effect seen in women taking Vitamin D

He found in this study that among the women who were given vitamin D pills, 43 percent of the women had no cancer symptoms after chemotherapy. At the same time, the figure of women of the second group was only 24 percent. This revealed that Vitamin D can play a helpful role in the treatment of cancer.

Results improved due to increase in Vitamin D in the body

During the research, it was also revealed that the women who were given Vitamin D tablets were already deficient in Vitamin D in their bodies. At the same time, as the level of Vitamin D in his body increased during treatment, his results also started improving. In such a situation, it cannot be wrong to say that Vitamin D is essential not only for cancer patients but for every person. Besides, it is important to take care of security also. Taking it in excessive amounts can also be harmful. Taking it in excessive amounts can cause problems like vomiting, weakness, and kidney problems. In such a situation, it should not be consumed in large quantities without consulting a doctor.

Still more research is needed

This study suggests that vitamin D may help chemotherapy work better and may be a cheaper and easier method, but it is not yet considered a completely proven treatment. In such a situation, more research is needed on this. Scientists believe that the initial results are good, but it is not yet clear whether vitamin D alone was the cause of the benefit. There may be other reasons behind this also. In further research, an attempt will be made to understand how Vitamin D works in combination with chemotherapy.

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Cancer treatment is necessary, but some of its side effects affect sleep. Such as chemotherapy, radiation, hormone therapy, steroids, painkillers and some antidepressant medicines. Nausea, night sweats, hot flashes, stomach problems. These problems increase more at night, due to which the patient has difficulty in sleeping and staying asleep.