Hyderabad, December 17th, 2020 : The Laryngectomee Society of Apollo Hospitals, a rehabilitation group for throat cancer survivors celebrated its 21st anniversary today by participating in a novel initiative - the launch of ‘Konttho Clubs’ across the country. Konttho clubs are self-help rehabilitation groups, modelled along the lines of Apollo’s Laryngectomee Society, for support of patients who underwent surgical removal of larynx (voice-box) as a cure for throat cancer.
Konttho, an acclaimed Bengali movie released last year based on the moving story of a popular Radio jockey who suffered from throat cancer and underwent a laryngectomy was the inspiration behind the initiative. Dr Umanath Nayak, Head and Neck surgical oncologist, Apollo Hospitals and founder president of the Laryngectomee Society, filmmakers Nandita Roy and Shiboprosad Muhkarjee; Shri V.S. Basavaraju, State Commissioner for Persons with disabilities, Govt .of Karnataka; Dr Sourav Dutta, Chief Head & Neck Surgeon, NH Kolkata and over 500 others participated in the virtual event.
According to Dr Umanath Nayak, Sr. Consultant Head & Neck Surgical Oncologist, Apollo Cancer Institutes, throat cancer is a common cancer in our country; mainly due to the rampant and indiscriminate use of tobacco in all forms. Overall about 12% of all cancers in India are related to the throat. About 1.5 lakh new throat cancers are diagnosed annually in our country, majority of which are in the advanced stages. Twin cities of Hyderabad & Secunderabad alone account for approximately 1,500 new throat cancer patients every year. Surgical removal of the larynx (voice-box) remains the best modality of treatment in advanced stages of the disease.
