STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: While Kamrup (Metropolitan) district has recorded the highest annual increase in the incidence of cancer at 3.8%, Dibrugarh district has shown an annual decline of 1.3% among men in the entire country. Kamrup (M) district has also stood third (after Aizawl in Mizoram & East Khasi Hills district in Meghalaya) in terms reported the highest incidence of cases against per lakh population in India.
The above alarming facts have been revealed in the National Cancer Registry Programme report for 2020 released by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and National Centre for Disease Informatics and Research (NCDIR), Bengaluru on August 18.
The report is based on data from 28 Population Based Cancer Registries (PBCRs) and 58 Hospital Based Cancer Registries (HBCRs) in the country. The data were collected in between 2012 and 2016.
According to the report the North East has recorded the highest cancer incidence rate in the country in between 2012 & 2016 . Mizoram's capital, Aizawl, reported the highest cancer cases among men with an incidence rate of 269.4 per one lakh population. Aizawl was followed by Meghalaya's East Khasi Hills district with an incidence rate of 227.9 per one lakh population and Assam's Kamrup (Metro) with 213 cancer cases per one lakh population.
Meanwhile, among women, the highest cancer cases in the country have been reported in Papumpare district in Arunachal Pradesh, with an incidence rate of 219.8 per one lakh population. Further, Kamrup (Metro) reported the fourth highest cases in the category with 170 cancer cases per one lakh population.
While East Khasi Hills district reported the highest proportion of tobacco cancer with 71 per cent in men and 47 per cent in women, Assam reported tobacco-related cancers for men at 52 per cent and about 22 per cent for women.
"Most cancer registries in North Eastern region showed more male preponderance in risk, whereas registries other than North Eastern showed more female preponderance in risk," the report said.
The report said while the cancer of lung, mouth, stomach and oesophagus were the most common among men, cancer of the breast, cervix uteri were most common among women.
Director of Dr Bhubaneswar Borooah Cancer Institute (BBCI) Dr Amal Chandra Kataki told The Sentinel that the report has once again exposed high vulnerability of populace of NE to cancer. He said awareness to detect cancer at a very early stage has to increased manifold to increase survival rate of those suffered from the dangerous disease.
"The North East is way ahead of the rest of India for cancer incidences. High consumption of tobacco is the biggest reason behind this," Dr Kataki said.
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