SHILLONG, March 15: The Meghalaya government has stepped up the fight against cancer which assumes alarming proportions in the state.
During the past five years, the state recorded over 900 cancer deaths annually in the seven districts of Khasi-Jaintia Hills.
Disclosing this on Wednesday, Principal Investigator of Population Based Cancer Registry (PBCR) in Civil Hospital, Shillong, Dr WB Langstieh said more males were among the victims.
Altogether 4,909 cancer patients – 3,133 males (63.8%) and 1,776 females ((36.2%) – had died between 2017 and 2021, according to the mortality data of PBCR Shillong, Meghalaya for a defined population in the seven districts of Khasi-Jaintia Hills (East Khasi Hills, West Khasi Hills, East Jaintia Hills, West Jaintia Hills, Ri-Bhoi, South West Khasi Hills and Eastern West Khasi Hills districts).
According to official figures, 1,002 cancer patients died in 2017 (664 males and 338 females), 1,022 in 2018 (658 males and 364 females), 980 in 2019 (602 males and 378 females), 973 in 2020 (635 males and 338 females) and 973 in 2021 (574 males and 358 females).
The number of new cases detected in the past five years in the seven districts is 8,156 – 4,972 males (60.96%) and 3,184 females (39.04%).
The numbers of new cases detected in 2017 are 1,568 (954 males and 614 females), 1,719 in 2018 (1,018 males and 701 females), 1,678 in 2019 (1,077 males and 601 females), 1,558 in 2020 (937 males and 621 females) and 1,633 in 2021 (986 males and 647 females).
Deaths of children due to cancer in the past five years include 10 in 2017 (8 males and 2 females), 7 in 2018 (3 males and 4 females), 5 in 2019 (2 males and 3 females), 4 in 2020 (4 males) and 9 in 2021 (5 males and 4 females).
According to Dr Langstieh, East Khasi Hills District tops the list among the registries in India as far as the detection of tobacco-related cancer (TRC) is concerned.
“The number of TRC cases we detected is more among the male population,” he said and stressed on the need for community participation in the fight to eliminate the disease from the state.
Senior oncologist of Shillong Civil Hospital, Dr Anisha Mawlong also stressed on reducing the cancer burden as the country stands first in tobacco-related cancer.
“We stand 2nd among males and 11th among females. It is high time that we wake up since the Northeast is the cancer capital of the country,” Dr Mawlong said.
She said the cancer wing is ready with indoor facilities with 90 beds and day-care facilities.
“We are catering to all cancer patients’ chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and screening services,” she added.
Disclosing that they are procuring a new machine for the radiotherapy treatment, Dr Mawlong said the tendering is being done by the Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai.
She said the fund is being provided by the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) for the new radiotherapy machine. She said when the MoU was signed, the DAE had entrusted TMH, Mumbai to do the tendering of the machine.
“We hope this is the final tender and that everything will be in place within the next 4-5 months,” the oncologist said.
She said the radiotherapy is being done from the old Civil Hospital building. She also said that they are now focusing on preventing and detecting cancer cases early.
“We do not expect the results immediately. We hope that in the next 10-15 years, we will have a Meghalaya with a lesser burden of cancer,” Dr Mawlong said.
Earlier, Health Minister, Ampareen Lyngdoh said the state government has launched the cancer mission following the realization that it needs to combat the disease on a war footing.
After a review meeting with senior officials on Wednesday, Lyngdoh told journalists it has been established that cancer is one of the biggest killers in the state.
According to her, the doctors are experienced and they are preparing to upscale the facilities of the cancer wing. She said tremendous efforts have been put in to reach patients across the board. The Minister visited the cancer wing of Shillong Civil Hospital and interacted with the patients.
