Agartala: More than 3,000 cases of cancer were registered every year at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Regional Cancer Centre in Tripura due to increased consumption of tobacco and smoking in the state.
While releasing a survey report on 'Monitoring Survey of Cancer Risk Factor and Health System Response in Northeast Region (Tripura)', Medical Superintendent of ABV Regional Cancer Centre Dr. Gautam Majumder said that in 2020, India registered 17.3 lakh cases while Tripura registered about 3,050 cases in 2021.
"In 2001, we received cases below 500, however, after 22 years, the cases are rising indiscriminately, as every year we detected over 3,000 cases in the state. At any time, there are more than 12,000 cancer patients in Tripura. Out of the 12,000 cancer patients, 1,450 patients died last year. The highest number of cases were reported in the West district," the doctor said.
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Dr. Majumder said that the consumption of tobacco in various forms, including smoking, is the reason behind the increase in cancer cases in Tripura. "Around 60% of lung cancer cases among males have been attributed to smoking, while 40% of females suffering from breast cancer, which was earlier uterus cancer, have been consuming tobacco," he added.
