Mangaluru : Concerned over the ignorance about Sarcoma (a malignant tumour) among general public, specialists from Health Care Global Enterprises Ltd., (HCG) that runs a chain of specialised oncology hospitals across the country, on Friday said parents are better placed to detect the same among their wards in the early childhood.

Speaking to presspersons here, Pramod Chinder, Consultant, Ortho Oncology, HCG Cancer Care, said pain in knee joints and sleepless nights among children could be an indication of bone cancer. HCG, Bengaluru, received about 600 bone tumour cases in the last five years, majority of whom were in advanced stages. Its early detection would help contain the spread of the tumour and enable people lead a normal life, he said.

Clinical as well as laboratory diagnosis of sarcoma is available and early detection would also help bring down the cost of treatment, Dr. Chinder said. Often, parents come to Bengaluru a good six months after sarcoma has been confirmed, which is very late.

Latest technologies are available in cancer treatment, wherein limb-saving methods have replaced amputation. There are different treatments available, from surgical to radiation to targeted treatment, Dr. Chinder said.

Radheshyam Naik, head, bone marrow transplant with HCG, said the hospital is in the forefront in fight against cancer having performed the Asia’s first bloodless bone marrow transplant.