Korean, Lankan specialists promote oral cancer research

by Carol Aloysius

A project initiated by South Korean and Lankan cancer specialists has given hope to oral cancer victims. Launched as a result of an agreement with the Korean Research Foundation under the guidance of its Directress Prof. Jim Kim, it aims at establishing a centre for research in oral cancer at the Faculty of Dental Services, University of Peradeniya, with Prof. W.M. Tilekeratne, who conceived the project, as its Founder Director.

"Oral cancer is the commonest cancer in Sri Lanka with a poor prognosis. At present 12.9 percent of cancers in Sri Lanka are oral cancers", Public Health Dental Community Physician, Cancer Control Program Dr Hemantha Amarasinghe told the Sunday Observer.

He said the Korean government had recently donated the country's first Cone Beam CT Scanner (CBCT) at a ceremony at which the chief guest was Sri Lanka's Ambassador to Korea Tissa Wijeratne. The machine has now been commissioned at the Dental Faculty.

"This ultra-sophisticated scanner will go a long way in diagnosing and treating oral cancer, besides helping patients with dental problems such as implants as it is much more precise and exposes the patient to minimal radiation, unlike the conventional CT scan machine which requires the entire body to be exposed to radiation rays. With this machine, only the head needs to be exposed to these rays at a minimal level", Prof. Tilekaratne said.

He said the Korean Research Centre had so far gifted the new centre equipment worth over Rs. 35 million. "They will send more equipment in future, on condition that we provide the infrastructure and have a separate building to house this Centre", Prof. Tilekaratne said.