Cancer Treatment in Rs 100: The Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai, India’s leading cancer research and treatment centre, has announced a breakthrough achievement in cancer treatment. After a decade of dedicated research and collaboration between researchers and medical professionals, the institute has developed a novel tablet that shows promising potential in preventing cancer recurrence, according to media reports. 

The treatment is designed to reduce the risk of cancer resurgence in patients who have undergone the cancer treatment. Moreover, the Rs 100 tablet aims to alleviate the patients from the adverse effects that are associated with prolonged cancer treatment therapies such as radiation and chemotherapy. 

Radiation and chemotherapy in cancer treatment can lead to fatigue, nausea, hair loss, skin changes, reduced blood cell counts, increased infection risk, mouth and throat problems, cognitive changes, and long-term complications like infertility and secondary cancers. The tablet developed by Tata Memorial Hospital claims to reduce these side effects by up to 50 per cent. 

A senior cancer surgeon at Tata Memorial Hospital shared the details of the research in which human cancer cells were implanted into rats, resulting in tumour formation. Then the rats underwent treatment involving radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and surgery. Researchers discovered that when cancer cells perish, they fragment into Chromatin particles. These particles have the potential to metastasize, converting healthy cells into cancerous ones upon entry.

The Tata Memorial Centre (TMC) found that dying cancer cells release cell-free chromatin particles (cfChPs), fragments of chromosomes. These particles have the potential to transform healthy cells into cancerous ones, with some possibly merging with healthy chromosomes, leading to the formation of new tumours.

According to the Tata Memorial Centre, the tablet took more than a decade to develop and is currently awaiting approval from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) after which it would be available to everyone only for Rs 100.