According to a ground-breaking study published in ‘The Lancet Oncology’, it’s predicted that by the year 2040, an estimated 15 million people annually will require chemotherapy. In comparison, this projection signifies a notable 53% rise from the 9.8 million individuals who needed such treatment in 2018.
Key Aspects of The Study
This study marks the first-ever research of its kind, providing an estimation of the scope of chemotherapy provision needed on a national, regional, and global scale. It’s anticipated that cancer incidence will grow from 17 million to 26 million between 2018 and 2040.
In 2018, approximately 63% of patients requiring chemotherapy resided in low-income or middle-income countries. This figure is estimated to rise to 67% by 2040. Of the forecasted 15 million people needing chemotherapy in 2040, over one-third will be residing in Eastern Asia (35%), with South Central Asia accounting for 12%, North America for 10%, Southeastern Asia for 7%, South America for 6%, and Western Europe for 5%.
There were approximately 65,000 cancer physicians needed to provide optimal chemotherapy in 2018. This requirement is projected to increase to 100,000 by 2040.
Chemotherapy: An Overview
Chemotherapy refers to the treatment of diseases using chemical compounds. Originally, chemotherapeutic drugs were employed against infectious microbes, but the term now includes anticancer and other drugs. Particularly, it’s most commonly associated with cancer treatment.
Cancer cells behave differently from normal cells; they continue to grow without control, unlike regular cells which grow and die in a controlled manner. Chemotherapy works by killing the cancer cells, halting their spread, or slowing their growth. However, this treatment can also adversely affect healthy cells, resulting in side effects.
Facts About the Study’s Findings
| Year | Number of people needing chemotherapy | Proportion living in low/middle income countries% |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 9.8 million | 63% |
| 2040 (projected) | 15 million | 67% |
The ABHYAS Aerial Vehicle and Its Functioning
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully carried out a flight test of ABHYAS – a High-speed Expendable Aerial Target (HEAT) at the Interim Test Range, Chandipur in Odisha.
ABHYAS is an unmanned aerial vehicle that employs a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) navigation system. The navigation and guidance of ABHYAS uses an indigenously developed MEMS-based navigation system. These MEMS-based inertial navigation systems have integrated GPS which offer advantages like higher data output rates, lower power consumption, orientation monitoring and control, and cost-effectiveness.
The Environmental Impact of Water Hyacinth
Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) is an invasive weed representing a significant threat to various aquatic ecosystems where it thrives. This problem is particularly severe in slow-moving water bodies due to the dense mats formed by the weed.
These dense mats out-compete other native aquatic plant life, blocking sunlight from reaching the water, and consequently impeding photosynthesis. Subsequently, this leads to a depletion of oxygen in the water, causing the death of native fish and other organisms in the ecosystem.
Conversely, water hyacinth can have positive environmental impacts, such as providing refugia and feeding centers for various aquatic fauna at the narrow stationary fringes of the weed. These weed fringes, regularly flushed with well-oxygenated waters, are abundant in algae and various invertebrates.
