Meghalaya tops with highest cancer cases among NE states

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaOctober 15, 2020

Among the North-eastern states, Meghalaya’s East Khasi Hills district has the highest relative proportion of cancers associated with the use of any form of tobacco with 70.4 % in males and 46.5% in females, respectively.

This was as per the National Cancer Registry Programme Report 2020, released by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and National Centre for Disease Informatics & Research (NCDIR), Bengaluru.

The report said cancers related to use of any form of tobacco were highest in the North-eastern region of the country and in higher proportions in men.

Cancer of lung, mouth, stomach and oesophagus were the most common cancers among men. Cancer of breast and cervix uteri (womb) were the most common cancers among women.

A significant increase in the incidence rates of breast cancers in women, and also lung, head & neck cancers in both men and women was observed in most of the registries. However, a declining trend was seen in most of the registries for cancer of the cervix (womb), it said.

The report said among males, the lowest proportion of cancers associated with use of any form of tobacco was in West Arunachal Pradesh (24.5%) and of all sites in females the lowest proportion was observed in Thiruvananthapuram district, Kerala (10.1%).

In the North East Region, the registries showed females with higher proportion of cancers associated with use of any form of tobacco, which was followed by the registries of central and western regions of India.

Cancers of lung were diagnosed at a stage of spread to distant sites, while cancers of head & neck, stomach, breast and cervix were in higher proportions with loco-regional spread.

Multimodality treatment (a varied combination of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy) was administered for cancers of breast and head & neck, while cancer cervix was treated mainly with radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

For cancers of the lung and the stomach, systemic therapy was the mode of treatment.

ICMR set up the National Cancer Registry Programme (NCRP) in 1982. The programme is overseen by the ICMR National Centre for Disease Informatics & Research (NCDIR), Bengaluru.

A network of Population and Hospital-Based Cancer Registries (PBCR & HBCR) systematically collect data related to cancer incidence, mortality and clinical aspects to estimate burden, trends, survival and management.

These results then facilitate efforts to strengthen cancer prevention and control throughout the country.

The Population Based Cancer Registry (PBCR), Civil Hospital Shillong started on 2009 and recently a Hospital Based Cancer Registry (HBCR) also started at NEIGRIHMS, Shillong on 2019.

Meanwhile, the report estimates that in 2020 cancer cases in the country will be at 13.9 lakhs and likely to increase to 15.7 lakhs by 2025, based on current trends.

These estimates are based on information related to cancer collected from 28 Population Based Cancer Registries (PBCRs). Additionally, 58 Hospital Based Cancer Registries (HBCRs) provided cancer data.

In 2020, tobacco related cancers are estimated to contribute 3.7 lakhs (27.1%) of the total cancer burden.

Among women, breast cancers are estimated to contribute 2.0 lakhs (14.8%) and cervix (womb) cancers are estimated to contribute 0.75 lakhs (5.4%), whereas for both men and women, cancers of the gastrointestinal tract is estimated to contribute 2.7 lakhs (19.7%) of the total cancer burden.

The cancer incidence rate for male population ranges from 269.4 in Aizawl district, Mizoram (highest in India) to 39.5 in Osmanabad & Beed district, Maharashtra (lowest in India) per 1,00,000 population.

Similarly, the cancer incidence rate for women population ranges from 219.8 Papumpare district, Arunachal Pradesh (highest in India) to 49.4 Osmanabad & Beed district, Maharashtra (lowest in India) per 100,000 population.