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Cancer on the rise in North East

By Sobhapati Samom

IMPHAL, Sept 3 � Cancer cases are on the rise in the conflict- ridden regions such as North Eastern States and Jammu & Kashmir.

Speaking to media persons on the eve of a two-day cancer awareness programme and cancer screening camp here, Dr Sameer Kaul, renowned Surgical Oncologist of the country today said, �Looking at our experiences cancer seems to be predominant disease in the conflict zones. Stress factors could be a reason. But so far no study has been done in this regard�.

Informing that the new trend was reported in the conflict zones such as Afghanistan, Iran, Sri Lanka, besides Jammu & Kashmir and NE States in India, President of Breast Cancer Patients Benefit Foundation (BCPBF) Dr Sameer, however, opined the need to have a retrospective study in this connection.

Dr Sameer is leading a team of noted oncologists in the country to conduct a two-day free cancer screening camp from Sunday at Shija Hospital here besides organising awareness programmes. More than 200 persons have registered for the camp till Saturday afternoon.

According to BCPBF head, though there are more cervical cancer cases than the breast cancers in rural India, the latter outnumbered the common (cancer) cases in the urban areas.

Surgical Oncologist of Apollo Hospital, Dr Feroz Pasha said, �We are shocked to see cancer cases of the State were brought for treatment at the last stage. That is why we came here to detect it at the earliest�.

Dr Deepali Kapoor, Counselling Psychologist, also from Apollo Hospital said awareness is the need of the hour while Dr Kh Palin of Shija Hospital feels that lack of awareness and unavailablity of advanced treatment are the main lacunae in cancer treatment in Manipur.

With 1,269 new cases including 643 women, Manipur has the highest number of lung cancer cases in India in 2008 as per annual reports of the population based cancer registries of the State. �The status remains the same till date�, confirmed Dr Y Mohen who heads the State unit of the cancer registry when contacted.

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