Prevention of cancer should be given a top priority in the north-eastern states, as statistics released by the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) shows that the disease as well as he fatality rate are alarmingly high in the region. Based on available figures, the medical body has also predicted a 13.5 per cent rise in cancer cases in the Northeast by 2025, which is not good news. Among the north-eastern states, Mizoram has maximum number of cancer-affected people with Aizawl alone registering 209.4 persons cancer patients per one lakh people, followed by East Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya and Assam’s Kamrup Urban district in the second and third places respectively. While the men largely suffer from cancer in oesophagus, mouth, lung, stomach, etc., women from the region are mainly suffers from breast, cervix, oesophagus, uterus, gall bladder and lung cancer, etc. Again, among the cancer-affected persons in the region, 13.6 per cent of men are suffering from oesophageal cancer and 14.5 per cent of women are suffering from breast cancer.
It’s a pity that the available infrastructure for treating cancer patients is simply inadequate despite the high prevalence rate of the disease. The people of the region suffering from the disease are left with no option but to go to various Indian states for treatment, which points to the need to develop comprehensive cancer treatment facilities in the Northeast. Considering the fact that setting up proper infrastructure to prevent the disease from affecting people is a huge task, the corporate sector and NGOs should join hands with the government to help the people from the region. The authorities also should organize regular health camps in remote areas to detect the disease at an early stage, to bring down the fatality rate.
In the meantime, the people of the region should reflect certain lifestyle choices, with health experts attributing the high prevalence of cancer in the region to dietary and addictive habits. The consumption of tobacco — both smoking and non-smoking form — in the region is more than 26 per cent higher than the national average. As per the ICMR report, nearly 50 per cent NE men and 23 per cent of women are encountering various cancers which are directly related to tobacco consumption. Thus, along with creating proper infrastructure for treating cancer patients, a popular movement against tobacco consumption should be initiated in the region. Otherwise, the number of cancer patients in NE will continue to rise.
