Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, who was in critical condition, passed away this Sunday evening.
The condition of Parrikar, diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer in February last year and in and out of hospitals, in Goa, Mumbai, Delhi and New York since then, turned "extremely critical" on Sunday, the Chief Minister's Office tweeted.
President Ram Nath Kovind expressed his grief.
"Extremely sorry to hear of the passing of Shri Manohar Parrikar, Chief Minister of Goa, after an illness borne with fortitude and dignity. An epitome of integrity and dedication in public life, his service to the people of Goa and of India will not be forgotten," he said in a tweet.
In March 2018, Chief Minister of Goa Manohar Parrikar had flown to the United States to seek treatment for cancer of the pancreas.
Why Is Pancreatic Cancer So Lethal?
Pancreatic cancer is the 13th most common cancer worldwide, according to a Lancet study from October 2015.
With an unusually high mortality rate, it is the eight most common cause of death from cancer. Over a quarter million people worldwide have lost their lives to it.
Dr Praveen Garg, Senior Consultant, Surgical Oncology, Apollo Hospital, says there are instances of five cases per 1 lakh of the population.
Survival rates are among the worst for any tumor, with the mortality to incidence ratio of 98 percent. It is among the tumors with worst survival rates.Lancet study
What makes pancreatic cancer so deadly is the lack of symptoms during early stages when it is most treatable, reports CNN.
Experts say, there are no screening tools specific to this kind of cancer. As a result, in many cases, the discovery of the disease gets delayed.
If the cancer is detected early on, it can be controlled by surgical removal of the pancreas. However, the viability of this treatment varies from case to case and depends on how far the cancer has spread. The presence of microscopic tumour cells, left behind due to any reason after the surgery, can further cause the cancer to recur.
Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones in this time of grief.
(With inputs from IANS)
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