Nitesh Sangral
Early Times Report
Jammu, Feb 3: Alarming rise of cancer patients in the Jammu and Kashmir at an exceptionally high rate virtually indicates that state is sitting on a volcano as it has registered nearly 2200 cancer patients with the Oncology Department at the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Jammu last year.
Although the alarming increase in number of cancer patients is matter of concern but health authorities are still in slumber. As per the data, state has been witnessing an increasing number of cancer cases-up from 803 in 1997 to over 2200 in 2015. "From 1998 to 2002 just four years, the number of cancer cases had swelled approximately by 6.3 per cent, data revealed.
As per break up official data, around 937 cancer cases were reported in 1998, 901 in 1999, 952 in 2000 and 996 in 2002.
It said that there was astonishing increase in succeeding years i.e. 1058 in 2003, 1168 in 2004, 1185 in 2005, 1,266 cancer cases in 2006, over 1300 in 2007, 1385 in 2008, 1450 in 2009, 1500 in 2010 and 1600 in 2011 and 1800 in 2012, 2000 in 2013 and 2000 in 2014.
Official data further stated that there were 144 deaths due to prostate cancer in Jammu and Kashmir during 2011 and the number surged to 154 in 2012, 164 in 2013 and 174 in 2014.
According to experts, the rise in the number of Cancer cases could be attributed to larger number of ageing population, unhealthy life styles, use of various forms of tobacco and related products, unhealthy diet and in most cases, the non-availability of better diagnostic facilities. "The majority of cases now occur in low- and middle-income families," experts added.
They further said that most common cancers (malignancies of the breast, colon or prostate) have the best potential treatment options, ironically the majority cancer cases are reported from low-income families who can't afford the costly treatment at right time.
"In the last decade the number of cancer cases has swollen alarmingly which is issue of concern and we have to deal with large number of people who are detected with lung, stomach, throat and cervical cancer," Head of the Centre, Dr Ashutosh Gupta said.
He also added the people need to be made aware about the said dreaded disease as knowing the disease and precautions can only save precious human lives. He however regretted despite the campaign launched by the government agencies and NGOs the people are using various forms of tobacco particularly in chewable form and it is most commonly seen in low income group which often ignore health ailments initially and when they come to know fatality of disease it was too late to mend for them. |
