New York Times Article Citing Urgent Need for Pain and Palliative Care in India Features ACSU Grantee

M.R. Rajagopal, MD, a graduate of the American Cancer Society University (ACSU) and a leader in cancer pain management in India, is prominently featured in a recent article in The New York Times on cancer pain and palliative care in India. The article quotes Dr. Rajagopal extensively about India’s cancer pain and palliative care crisis – only about 0.4 percent of patients get relief from pain – and the need to escalate attention to this issue. The article mentions Dr. Rajagopal’s successes to reduce cancer pain in Kerala State and the need for better access, education, and laws regarding pain medication to ease needless suffering. India has high rates of lung, cervical, and breast cancers and leads the world in head and mouth tumors, largely due to high rates of smokeless tobacco usage. Through the ACSU program and funding, the Society has supported Dr. Rajagopal and Pallium India, an NGO he started in Kerala, to advance palliative care programs throughout the nation. In collaboration with the International Network for Cancer Treatment and Research (INCTR) and Pallium India, the Society launched a palliative care training center in Hyderabad, India.