BENGALURU: One of the most frightening issue for cancer patients when it comes to throat cancer treatment is losing their voice box or voice after either a failed radiochemotherapy or who are at the last stage and require the voice box to be removed. “Voice box cancer is the second most common cancer and unfortunately is more common in the low economic group who can't afford costly treatments. Mainly, patients with failed radiochemotherapy and stage four cancer patients require the removal of voice box,” says city-based oncologist Dr Vishal Rao who along with his friend Shashank Mahesh has come up with an affordable solution to such patients who have lost their voice box.
Speaking about the device which they call the 'Aum voice prosthesis', Dr Vishal adds, “We have developed this unique device for throat cancer patients who lose their voice box. Most patients of throat cancer who undergo surgery are unable to speak due to removal of voice box. Sadly, these patients eat through their mouths, but cannot breathe through their nose. Instead they breathe from a hole in the neck.”
“This device helps throat cancer patients whose voice box is removed after surgery, to speak again, this time using their food pipe which functions like a voice box,” says Dr Vishal. Currently the artificial device is priced at Rs 50 which is very meagre in comparison to the one’s that are sold in the West or European countries where the device costs for the European make prosthesis (most popular) is around Rs 25,000-30,000. The American make costs between Rs 15,000-20,000.
The doctor who has recently and successfully given voice to a local watchman who lost his voice to throat cancer says that the life -span of the equipment is almost six months. Sharing his video with Deccan Chronicle, doctor says, “This is a video showing Ramakrishna - my first patient for prosthesis speaking. He is a watchman. He went back to his work speaking effectively. He was unable to afford the western prosthesis owing to cost constraints.”
“The materials and other technicality matches the western products hence I am considering the life-span to also be six months, similar to the western product,” adds the oncologist. “Ours is priced at Rs 50 which is same quality and perhaps equally effective. Its patent has been registered and is presently awaiting some final quality approvals before its launch in market.
