Air, water pollution, sedentary lifestyle major factors
Over 7500 deaths reported in one year
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Feb 3: The mortality of cancer cases is on constant rise in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh during the past 10 years and the situation is likely to further worsen in the coming years if people fail to shun sedentary and unhealthy lifestyle and more awareness is not generated by all the concerned agencies.
As per the data of Indian Council of Medical Research-National Cancer Registry Programme (ICMR-NCRP), the cancer cases are on constant rise in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh like several other parts of the country.
So far as mortality of the cancer cases is concerned, the figure is increasing every year in both the Union Territories and the mortality in Jammu and Kashmir in the year 2022 was much more as compared to other States like Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
In Jammu and Kashmir, 5832 cancer patients died in 2013 and this figure increased to 5991 in 2014, 6164 in 2015, 6318 in 2016, 6495 in 2017, 6670 in 2018, 6845 in 2019, 7027 in 2020, 7211 in 2021 and 7396 in 2022.
Likewise, in Ladakh mortality of cancer cases in 2013 was 135 while as this figure increased to 139 in 2014, 142 in 2015, 146 in 2016, 150 in 2017, 154 in 2018, 158 in 2019, 162 in 2020, 166 in 2021 and 171 in 2022.
According to the data, a total of 583 males and 201 females died of lung cancer in Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory during the year 2022 while as in Ladakh Union Territory 14 males and four females died of this type of cancer.
No doubt the Government of India is playing its role in strengthening infrastructure, human resource development, health promotion and awareness generation for prevention, early diagnosis, management and referral to an appropriate level of healthcare facility for treatment of cancer but the people are also required to pay serious attention towards the prevailing situation, health experts said, adding unless people fail to shun sedentary and unhealthy lifestyle and everyone helps in preventing water and air pollution the situation is not going to improve.
They said that apart from sedentary lifestyle, continuous increases in air and water pollution besides increased use of chemicals in farming are also causing cancer. “Chemicals can trigger cancer in a variety of ways, including disrupting hormones, damaging DNA, inflaming tissues and turning genes on or off. Many pesticides are known or probable carcinogens”, they added.
Commenting on the situation, Principal of Government Medical College Jammu Dr Ashutosh Gupta, who is also Prof and Head Regional Cancer Centre, said that cancer is among the 10 leading causes of death and a major public health problem. More than 70% of all cancer deaths occur in low- and middle-income groups of the society.
In response to a question, he said that carcinogens enter the body through polluted air and water and cigarette smoking and ultimately cause cancer, adding the most common cancers are lung cancer, breast cancer, stomach cancer, cervical cancer, head and neck cancer and colon and rectal cancer.
He advised that people should take low calorie diet as small meals which should include at least five servings of fruits and vegetables per day; poultry products and sea food; fibrous foods (whole grain cereals, brown rice), fresh fruits and vegetables (tomatoes, citrus fruits, carrots, green leafy vegetables).
Moreover, people should drink plenty of filtered water, add quality protein, minerals, calcium and Vitamin-D rich food in their every day meals. Above all, they should maintain healthy lifestyle by being physically active, Dr Ashutosh Gupta said, adding “people should avoid high fat content diet like red and processed meats and high-fat dairy products, potential food allergens such as preservatives and food additives, too much coffee and other stimulants to keep cancer at bay.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
