Roche and DIWAS Launch Cancer Educational Initiative for Diabetologists
– Based on research that shows link between diabetes and cancer
– Initiative to focus on cancer screening and prevention
Chennaii, 05 February 2021: Roche Diabetes Care India, a pioneer in innovative technologies, has partnered with Diabetes in Women Awareness Strategies (DIWAS), a non-profit organization working for girls’ and women’s health, to implement an educational program that equips diabetes care professional and general physicians to screen and prevent cancer.
Dr Usha Sriram, Founder, DIWAS and Head of the Department of Diabetes and Endocrinology at Voluntary Health Services, Chennai, said, “There is growing awareness of the link between diabetes and cancer, but much more needs to be done. Women seem to be more vulnerable to this complication. By empowering physicians, diabetologists and endocrinologists with the knowledge and the tools necessary to screen, detect, make appropriate referrals, we can help to prevent cancer and partner with oncologists in this endeavour. This synergy could contribute immensely to lowering the burden of cancer in people with diabetes.”
There is growing evidence to show that people with diabetes mellitus have a higher incidence of some cancers.1,2,3 This could be because of some risk factors that are common to both, such as chronic inflammation, obesity and post-menopausal hormonal disturbances.3 It is common for some patients to have both conditions, which can lead to poor prognosis and overall health outcomes. Often there is delay in a cancer diagnosis amongst patients with diabetes. Additionally, there are no clear guidelines on how to approach cancer diagnosis in diabetes, and vice versa.
“With increasing prevalence of diabetes and cancer in India there is tremendous opportunity for us to partner closely with different stakeholders to help manage these two complex diseases. RDC, India is committed to collaborate with various critical stakeholders to tackle healthcare challenges associated with diabetes and other critical illnesses, cancer being one of them. We are confident that our collaboration with DIWAS will help set up the integrated care for diabetes and cancer in India and help us get better clinical outcomes for cancer patients.” said Omar Sherief Mohammad, Managing Director and General Manager, RDC India.
“Roche is pleased to support DIWAS in its noble educational initiative and integrated approach to bring much needed attention and awareness of cancer risk in patients with diabetes. The program will focus on cancer screening and prevention to benefit patients with diabetes in prevention, early detection and disease monitoring. Roche believes that trained healthcare professionals are critical to ensure quality of care and we are proud to have an opportunity to support this cause that will help us reduce the burden of cancer in patients with diabetes,” said Narendra Varde, Managing Director, Roche Diagnostics India and Neighbouring Markets.
About Roche Diabetes Care
Roche Diabetes Care has been pioneering innovative diabetes technologies and services for more than 40 years. More than 5,500 employees in over 100 markets worldwide work every day to support people with diabetes and those at risk to achieve more time in their target ranges and experience true relief from the daily therapy routines.
Being a global leader in integrated Personalised Diabetes Management (iPDM), Roche Diabetes Care collaborates with thought leaders around the globe, including people with diabetes, caregivers, healthcare providers and payers. Roche Diabetes Care aims to transform and advance care provision and foster sustainable care structures. Under the brands RocheDiabetes, Accu-Chek and mySugr, comprising glucose monitoring, insulin delivery systems and digital solutions, Roche Diabetes Care unites with its partners to create patient-centred value. By building and collaborating in an open ecosystem, connecting devices and digital solutions as well as contextualise relevant data points, Roche Diabetes Care enables deeper insights and a better understanding of the disease, leading to personalised and effective therapy adjustments. For better outcomes and true relief.
Since 2017, mySugr, one of the most popular diabetes management apps, is part of Roche Diabetes Care.
For more information, please visit www.rochediabetes.com, www.accu-chek.com and www.mysugr.com.
About Roche
Roche is a global pioneer in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics focused on advancing science to improve people’s lives. The combined strengths of pharmaceuticals and diagnostics under one roof have made Roche the leader in personalised healthcare – a strategy that aims to fit the right treatment to each patient in the best way possible.
Roche is the world’s largest biotech company, with truly differentiated medicines in oncology, immunology, infectious diseases, ophthalmology and diseases of the central nervous system. Roche is also the world leader in in vitro diagnostics and tissue-based cancer diagnostics, and a frontrunner in diabetes management.
Founded in 1896, Roche continues to search for better ways to prevent, diagnose and treat diseases and make a sustainable contribution to society. The company also aims to improve patient access to medical innovations by working with all relevant stakeholders. More than thirty medicines developed by Roche are included in the World Health Organization Model Lists of Essential Medicines, among them life-saving antibiotics, antimalarials and cancer medicines. Moreover, for the eleventh consecutive year, Roche has been recognised as one of the most sustainable companies in the Pharmaceuticals Industry by the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI).
The Roche Group, headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, is active in over 100 countries and in 2019 employed about 98,000 people worldwide. In 2019, Roche invested CHF 11.7 billion in R&D and posted sales of CHF 61.5 billion. Genentech, in the United States, is a wholly owned member of the Roche Group. Roche is the majority shareholder in Chugai Pharmaceutical, Japan. For more information, please visit www.roche.com.
All trademarks used or mentioned in this release are protected by law.
About DIWAS
DIWAS is a non-profit organization, committed to promoting the health of girls and women. The focus is on prevention of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) through awareness and advocacy programs. Goal of DIWAS is to transform the risk and occurrence of NCDs by improving health literacy. We passionately believe that education and access to preventive healthcare for women will have a far-reaching impact on not just a woman but her entire family and the community.
