*Carcinoma Lung the most common cancer reported
Govind Sharma
JAMMU, May 2: The cancer cases in Jammu province are on rise as 9,630 cancer patients were registered in Government Medical College (GMC) Jammu from 2018 to 2022 with highest cases reported from Jammu district and the Carcinoma Lung as the most common cancer found in these patients.
According to Hospital Based Cancer Registry (HBCR) of GMC Jammu, a total of 9630 cancer patients were reported in this 5-year period (2018 to 2022), with maximum patients registered from Jammu (39%) followed by Udhampur (9.67%). Most of the patients were in the age group of 60-80 years with male (5440) to female (4190) ration of 1.2:1.
Carcinoma lung was the most common cancer reported in 1370 (14.2%) patients followed by head and neck in 1035 (10.7%) patients. The five most common cancers for males included lung (33.16%), followed by head and neck (25.8%), genitourinary (17.20%), oral cavity (12.9%) and esophagus (10.8%). The 5 most common cancers for females include breast (33.16%) followed by cervix (25.8%), other gynecological cancers (17.20%), hepatobiliary (12.9%) and lung cancer (10.8%).
The data has been submitted to Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) by Professor Ashutosh Gupta who is the Principal Investigator for the prestigious hospital based cancer registry project. The Regional Cancer Centre in Jammu is the only centre maintaining the cancer registry in this area for the last few years with the objective of assessing the pattern and distribution of cancer in J&K.
Further, HBCR suggests that the cancer cases are on rise in Jammu region as 2030 cancer patients were reported in the hospital in the year 2023 against 1747 reported in the year 2022 and majority of the patients who were presented to the hospital were in stage IV (48%) and stage III (26.8%).
Pertinently, in order to identify the cancer cases in India, National Cancer Registry Program (NCRP) was started by ICMR in 1981 with coordinating Centre at Bengaluru. The programme started with six cancer registries, out of which three were Population Based Cancer Registries (PBCRs) and three were hospital based cancer registries (HBCRs).
In 2013, the Oncology Department of GMC Jammu of J&K took up the lead in starting its own Hospital Based Cancer Registry (HBCR) with an objective of assessing
the pattern and distribution of various cancers among the patients attending the hospital.
Besides providing data on cancer incidence, mortality and pattern, trend & geo-pathological distribution of cancers, HBCR also helps to formulate and implement policies & programs along with monitoring and evaluation of cancer control activities.
As per Dr Ashutosh Gupta, who is also Principal and Dean of GMC Jammu, despite increased awareness programmes about cancer, patients are reporting late to the hospital which leads to delay in the diagnosis and treatment. He attributed this delay to social and financial constraints or lack of access to health care facilities, fear of hospitals, absence of pain associated with the condition in some cases or the lack of knowledge.
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