Hospital group rolls out stage zero cancer detection drive

Chennai: In the battle against cancer, the earliest win starts at zero, an oncologist said at the launch of ‘zero to hero', a campaign by Apollo cancer centre and Apollo proton centre to mark world cancer day and raise awareness about early cancer detection at stage zero.Stage zero cancer, also called carcinoma in situ, describes abnormal cells confined to their origin site, such as milk ducts in the breast. These cells resemble cancer under a microscope but do not invade nearby tissue or spread. "Detection at this stage allows treatment before progression, often via surgery or monitoring, with high success rates," said surgical oncologist and senior consultant Dr S Ayyappan.
India recorded over 15lakh new cancer diagnoses in 2024, with data from ICMR-NCRP showing a steady rise. At least one in nine Indians faces a lifetime risk of cancer, and nearly 70% of cases are detected at advanced stages (stages three and four), making treatment complex and expensive. "Simple blood tests and scans added to routine annual health checks can increase chances of diagnosis even before symptoms appear," said uro-oncologist Dr R Srivathsan. "Mammograms for breast cancer and tests to measure prostate-specific antigen levels in blood for prostate cancer are some tests. But these tests must be prescribed based on family history, the patient's medical condition, and environmental risk factors," he said.Apollo hospital group director Harshad Reddy said the initiative seeks to create awareness, strengthen cancer registries, and enable faster care pathways.