Can you get treatment for mouth cancer under the chiranjeevi scheme?

Mouth cancer is a severe disease that affects thousands of people in India every year. Mostly, this cancer affects people that regularly intake nicotine and tobacco products. It is estimated that on average, every hour, 5 people in India die from mouth cancer, and around 20 in every 10,00,000 in the population of India suffer from the disease. 

The shocking prevalence of this disease in India caught the attention of the government, and when in 2021, the Rajasthan state government, under the leadership of Mr. Ashok Gehlot, introduced the Chiranjeevi scheme, which is a state-provided public health insurance scheme, treatment for mouth cancer was covered under the program. For patients suffering from mouth/oral cancer, there are only a few treatment options under this condition, most of which are covered under the Chiranjeevi scheme. Let’s look at the types of treatments available for mouth cancer and how you can avail them under the Chiranjeevi scheme.

Types of Treatments Available For Mouth Cancer

One of the key parts of cancer treatment is diagnosing cancer in its early stages. Getting proper cancer screening regularly is essential, especially if you use tobacco products or if you are a smoker. Once you go through cancer screenings and you get diagnosed, there are a few treatment options that can be used for treating your condition. Here are some of the treatment options used for treating mouth cancer.

• Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is a type of medicinal treatment for cancer that uses very strong chemicals to kill the cancer cells inside your body. Chemotherapy is one of the most common cancer treatments in India for oral/mouth cancer. Chemotherapy treatment is often used in combination with radiation therapy to treat cancer. This type of treatment is very effective in the early stages of cancer. In the case of advanced cancer stages, this treatment loses effectiveness up to a certain extent.

• Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy uses types of x-ray radiation to kill the malignant cancer cells inside your body. Radiation therapy is really good for treating mouth cancer, and it is used in conjunction with chemotherapy generally for treating cancer. Radiation therapy is also very effective if you are affected by cancer in the early stages. In the advanced stages, radiation therapy also loses efficacy as a treatment for mouth cancer.

• Oncosurgery

Oncosurgery is a type of surgical procedure where the cancer-affected part of your body is surgically removed along with some of the healthy parts as well. This is done to protect your body from getting affected by cancer again. Oncosurgery is an aggressive surgical procedure used as a final treatment option for mouth cancer. Oncosurgery is generally used for patients suffering from advanced stages of cancer. Oncosurgery has side effects that hinder the patient’s ability to speak or chew food later because a major part of the mouth and cancer-affected regions are removed surgically.

Final Thoughts 

Under the Chiranjeevi scheme by the Rajasthan state government, all the treatment options mentioned in this article are offered to beneficiaries under the limit of ₹5,00,000 per year for a family. Now that you understand the seriousness of mouth cancer, make sure that you go for regular cancer screenings when you reach above a certain age. 

If you are a beneficiary of the Chiranjeevi scheme and suffer from mouth cancer, be sure to visit Medipulse hospital, the best tertiary care hospital in Jodhpur. You will get the best quality treatment for any cancer condition at Medipulse under the guidance of very qualified doctors and medical professionals. For more information, be sure to visit the hospital website.