Guwahati: The Northeast has become a 'hotspot' of cancer with the region reporting the highest rate of cases in the country. As per data presented in the State Assembly, a whopping 50,000 people are diagnosed with this deadly disease every year in Assam. In 2016, the number of cancer-positive patients reached 32,000.
As per another statistic, 206 out of every one lakh people in Assam are diagnosed with cancer which is much higher than the total number of cases in the country. About 80 to 110 per one lakh people are diagnosed with cancer in India.
ETV Bharat spoke to Dr Amal Chandra Kataki, an eminent cancer specialist and former director, of Dr B Baruah Cancer Institute about the impact and causes of such widespread cases of cancer. Excerpts from the interview:
- What does the data say about the cancer cases here? How bad is it?
The Northeast, including Assam, tops the list of cancer cases in the country. At the all-India level, 80-110 out of every one lakh people are diagnosed with cancer. Assam secures the fourth position with 206 out of every one lakh people being cancer-positive. In Mizoram, for every one lakh, 270 people are cancer-positive. The number in Arunachal is around 230. East Khasi Hills secured the third place. In the East Khasi Hills, 228 people are cancer-positive among every one lakh.
- How many people are affected by cancer annually?
In the Northeast, 60,000 people are newly diagnosed with cancer every year and 50,000 of them hail from Assam. Around 25,000 cancer patients die every year in the state. About 14 lakh fresh cancer patients are diagnosed annually in the country out of which eight lakh people die every year.
- How deadly is this disease?
In the last five years, 1,14,169 people have died in Assam alone out of the 1,89,478 who were affected by the fatal disease. According to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, with the number of people suffering from cancer in Assam increasing every year, the number of deaths is also on a steady rise.
According to the data, the death toll due to cancer in Assam stood at 21,715 in 2018; 22,261 in 2019; 22,824 in 2020; 23,395 in 2021 and about 24,000 in 2022. In the last five years, 1 lakh 89 thousand 478 people have been affected by cancer in the state. Of these, 36,029 were in 2018; 36,948 in 2019; 37,880 in 2020; 38,834 cases in 2021 and about 40,000 in 2022. Dr Amal Chandra Kataki said more than 50 per cent of the victims died.
- Kamrup Metropolitan District:
Kamrup Metropolitan District has reported the highest number of cancer cases in Assam. As many as 213 out of every one lakh men and 169 out of one lakh women in the district are diagnosed with cancer. Cachar and Dibrugarh districts are followed by Kamrup Metropolitan district respectively.
Males in the state generally have the highest rates of oral cavity, oesophagus and lung cancer. In contrast, the number of breast and cervical cancer patients is the highest among females. On the other hand, in Assam and the North East, due to tobacco use, alcoholism and food habits, more and more people are affected by cancer.
As high as 48 per cent of the total cancer patients diagnosed in Assam are tobacco users. Apart from Assam, Aizawl in Mizoram and East Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya have also been identified as 'cancer hotspots'.
- Reasons for the rise in cancer in the North East:
Tobacco consumption, drinking and eating habits are at the root of the rise in cancer in the Northeast. The rate of cancer patients due to tobacco use is high in the Northeast. The rate of tobacco consumption at the all-India level has come down from 34 per cent to 28 per cent.
However, on the contrary, the rate of tobacco consumption is increasing in the Northeast including Assam. The tobacco consumption rate in Assam was 39 per cent earlier but has now gone up to 48 per cent. As high as 70 per cent of cancer patients in Mizoram and Meghalaya are active tobacco users.
On the other hand, the rate of alcoholics in Assam is also very high. The rate of alcoholism in Assam is 22 per cent, which is almost double the national rate of 11 per cent.
Cancer can be cured in 80 per cent of cases if detected at an early stage. However, two-thirds of patients delay their hospitalisation and treatment due to several factors including lack of awareness about cancer. Data says five to 10 per cent of cancer cases are found to be hereditary.
- North-East in the grip of tobacco:
The North East is the top most in the country in terms of tobacco consumption. According to the Global Youth Tobacco Survey, the rate of tobacco consumption among school children is 8.5 per cent at the all-India level. In South India, the rate is 14 per cent. However, in the Northeast, including Assam, it is 34 per cent. The rate is 57.9 per cent in Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh-- the highest in the country. It is 42.6 per cent in Nagaland, 33.6 per cent in Meghalaya, 24.8 per cent in Sikkim and 11.9 per cent in Assam.
- Tobacco-related income-expenditure:
The central government spends Rs 1,77,000 crore annually on the treatment of tobacco-related diseases. On the contrary, the government's revenue from tobacco has been reported at Rs 57,000 crore.
- Tobacco-related cancer:
The rate of cancer cases caused due to tobacco is very high in the Northeast including Assam. Meghalaya accounts for the highest with 64 per cent of cancer cases caused due to tobacco. On the other hand, Tripura has a 56 per cent cancer rate due to tobacco-related diseases. In Assam, 50 per cent of males and 25 per cent of females suffer from cancer because of tobacco use.
- Types and symptoms of cancer:
Cancer can occur in different parts of the body and can also extend or spread to other organs and parts. The sooner one is diagnosed with cancer in any organ, the more it helps advance treatment as well as well-being. The symptoms of cancer in different parts and organs of the human body also vary accordingly.
Cancers may impact the mouth, neck, oesophagus, breast, abdomen, lungs, pancreas, liver, ovary, uterus, kidneys, urinary tract, bones and joints, anus, rectum etc. Here are a few of the symptoms through which you can detect the disease in an early stage:
- Cancer of the oral cavity: A prolonged sore within the oral cavity is a symptom of cancer.
- Cancer of the vocal cord: A sign of permanent change in voice or a cancer of the vocal cord that worsens the voice.
- Neck cancer: Lumps in the neck are a symptom of neck cancer.
- Breast Cancer: A lump with no pain in the breast, which continues to grow gradually, the secretion of blood-containing substances from the nipples of the breast and the lumps that occur on the sides are symptoms of breast cancer.
- Oesophageal Cancer: Difficulty in eating food and the gradual increase in this problem is a sign of oesophagal cancer.
- Stomach cancer: Feeling full at eating a little and vomiting after eating is a sign of stomach or abdominal cancer.
- Lung Cancer: A cough, loss of blood in phlegm or cough, and difficulty in breathing are the symptoms of lung cancer.
- Cancer of the bile duct: Chronic jaundice, pancreatic and cancer of the bile duct attached to the liver without any specific cause.
- Colon Cancer: Changes or disturbances in bowel habits, constipation, and blood in the stool are the symptoms of colon cancer.
- Ovarian or ovarian cancer: Abnormal bloating of the stomach and symptoms of ovarian or ovarian cancer.
- Uterus cancer: Vaginal bleeding and postmenopausal bleeding are symptoms of cervical cancer.
- Kidney cancer: Abnormal lumps in the abdomen and bleeding in the urine are symptoms of kidney cancer.
- Cancer of the urinary tract: Problems in urinating, and blood in the urine are symptoms of urinary tract cancer.
- Cancer of bones and muscles: The swelling of various organs of the body is a sign of bone and muscle cancer.
- Other symptoms: A person can be diagnosed with cancer even if some other symptoms appear. For example, sudden loss of body weight for no reason, anaemia, weakness, increased jaundice, accumulation of water inside the stomach and in the lungs etc.
One should go to the doctor as soon as such symptoms start reflecting as the physician will be able to check the symptoms and confirm through medical tests if the visitor is suffering from cancer.
How to identify cancer :
Biopsies are the most popular test to detect cancer. Small cell parts are collected from the individual's body for examination from the organ or part where the symptoms of cancer appear. A biopsy is usually a procedure with no complications involved.
Some people have a misconception about biopsy spreading cancer to other parts of the body. It is false and has no medical basis.
