The Kangri Cancer is fortunately showing a downward trend
The Bad News: 20-30 people die of cancer daily in Kashmir
The Good News: 15 of these can be saved with proper awareness and cure
Reyaz Ahmed (Kashmir Images)
Sopore: Deadly cancer is spreading its tentacles fast in Valley and available data suggests around 20-30 patients are claimed on daily basis by the dreaded disease. Horrifying it sounds, and indeed it really is; however, the saving grace is that if people are educated about the menace and provided medicare at various stages of the disease, almost 50 percent of the patients dying of cancer can be saved.
These details were shared by some leading oncologists here other day during the ‘Cancer Awareness Conference’ and ‘Practitioner’s Meet’ held at north Kashmir’s Sopore township in Baramulla district. Doctors and medical practitioners working in different urban and rural districts of north Kashmir participated in the conference organized here for the first time by Hakim Sanaullah Cancer Center Sopore in collaboration with Rajiv Ghandhi Cancer Institute New Delhi.
“It has been found that there are 110-120 new cases present in one lakh of populace and so far as the Kashmir valley is concerned, at least 40 new cases are detected every day and almost 20-30 patients die daily due to this deadly disease,” said Dr. Shad Salim Akhtar. He said that at least 15 cases are preventable but it needs painstaking efforts.
The conference with the theme of ‘Cancer Awareness’, focused on the management of cancer in countries with limited resources.The speakers stressed upon all the doctors and medicos to work for educating masses about cancer prevention activities and asked them to pool their efforts to fight the deadly disease. When asked about the genetic factor of cancer, Dr. Shaoib Zaidi, who is a Consultant Surgical Oncologist at Batra Hospital New Dehli said there are some kinds of cancer like in breast and uterus and other organs, which have genetic origin. Replying to question about the Kangri Cancer cases in the Valley, Dr. Zaidi said earlier such cancer cases was rampant in the Valley but now as people has curtailed the use of Kangri, the incidence of Kangri Cancer cases too has decreased.
During the conference, various practicing physicians and doctors deliberated upon varied topics related cancer. Emphasizing the importance of awareness and education about cancer among health-care providers and the general population, oncologists said that it has become necessary for “all of us” to create an atmosphere for cancer care and cure facilities so that people living in far-off villages can get benefit as they don’t have not access to the high-profile and expensive hospitals.