Cases of Cancer patients on rise in South Kashmir: Doctors

Sameer Ahmad

Anantnag: The lack of Regional Cancer Centre (RCC) in the Government Medical College-Anantnag is not only hitting the patients adversely, while the patients of south kashmir as well as the peer panchal range of Banihal Ramban and Kashtiwar areas  are being forced to visit the SKIMS hospital, which makes them far away from Anantnag District.

The people of south Kashmir has urged several times to the higher-ups for establishing the facility of Regional Cancer Centre (RCC) in the GMC Anantnag but ironically, the Government is yet to take the final decision in this regard, consequently the patients are being forced either to go to the SKIMS Soura or out of state for the treatment of cancer disease.

Talking to Arising state a patient name with held said that “My husband is a laborer. And I couldn’t afford to arrange transport to SKIMS everyday”, the patient lives in a far-flung area of Anantnag District and is suffering in deadly disease from the last one year, According to a doctor attending to the patient in Oncology department in GMC Anantnag. The disease of the patient had progressed to stage IV and was put on palliative treatment for symptomatic Relief at GMC Anantnag, the oncologist declaring her unfit for any curative treatment. That tells a lot about the requirement of Regional Cancer Centre in GMC Anantnag.

However talking to Arising state official sources in GMC Anantnag said that there is very high prevalence of various Cancers in South kashmir and adjoining belts of District Ramban, Doda and Kishtwar, the need of Regional Cancer Centre at Govt Medical College (GMC) Anantnag in South Kashmir is felt on daily basis. A significant number of new cancer patients are being diagnosed in every day in the department of radio diagnosis at GMC Anantnag apart from many others being diagnosed in various Sub-District hospitals and Private Diagnostic Centres in the region, sources said.

Talking to the Arising state, Dr Owais consultant radiologists GMC Anantnag said that the most common cancers whose prevalence is very high in South Kashmir are Gastric cancers, Esophageal cancers, Colonic cancers, Lung cancers, Ovarian cancers followed by Breast, Gall bladder, Cholangiocarcinomas, Hepatic Cancers,  Renal Cancers among many others. GMC Anantnag is catering more than 30 lack population from whole of the South Kashmir including Shopian, Pulwama, Kulgam and Anantnag apart from adjoining Districts of Ramban, Banihal, Doda and Kishtwar, he said.

Added that about 750 cancer patients are currently registered at GMC Anantnag in last 3 years. The numbers are quite high than as mentioned in the register as most of the patients travel to Govt Medical College Srinagar and SKIMS Soura to get themselves registered at their cancer centres for Radiotherapy and Chemotherapy treatment. About 60-65% of these patients require radiotherapy treatment at some phase of their treatment for which the patients were eventually referred to Srinagar, causing serious economic slowdown to majority of these patients with many of the poor patients doesn’t go for huge costs incurred for the treatment and travelling charges.

Dr Owais said that there is a positive sign in GMC Anantnag that a trained staff and radiation oncology department is already in place in GMC Anantnag it means that most important requirement of technical human resources are already in place to man and manage the Regional Cancer Care (RCC) in GMC. Moreover, the diagnostic Services in the form of USG Guided FNAC, 128 Slice CT Scanner and CT guided Biopsy facilities are already available apart from well equipped Pathology department which will definitely decrease the costs to be incurred on establishment of Regional Cancer Centre at GMC Anantnag.

The only requirement of establishing the regional cancer centre at GMC Anantnag is Building and Infrastructure in the form of Radiotherapy delivery equipment (Linear Accelerator/Telecobalt). For the establishment of a regional cancer center, Oncological OPD, chemotherapy and radiotherapy services need to be set up. While as OPD and chemotherapy services are already functional at Govt Medical College (GMC) Anantnag though a separate building housing these services is required, radiotherapy services are not yet in working order in any form due to non-availability of radiotherapy delivery equipment. As indicated in the Hospital Based Cancer Registry of GMC Anantnag, he said, adding that the Cancers are always challenging diseases to manage and having a dedicated regional Cancer Centre can significantly improve the quality of care and treatment outcomes for patients. “It may also reduce the burden on patients who otherwise might need to travel long distances to access specialized cancer care in other regions.”

Sources said that there are several patients who stop treating themselves due to poverty and they don’t even have money to travel to Srinagar hospital. Since the costs incurred on diagnosis and proper evaluation, surgical treatment, Chemotherapy and transport and hotel charges are huge on such families apart from many manpower days lost affect the effective and proper treatment of the poor and needy cancer patients, Sources said.

Cancer can be caused by a combination of genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors. Some common causes include exposure to carcinogens (substances that can cause cancer), such as tobacco smoke, radiation, certain chemicals, and viruses. Genetic mutations can also play a role, either inherited or acquired over time. Additionally, factors like diet, physical activity, obesity, and alcohol consumption can contribute to the development of certain cancers. It’s important to note that each type of cancer may have specific risk factors, and research in this field continues to evolve. High intake of Salt, spicy foods, Smoking, use of pesticides and insecticides are more common causes of cancers in kashmir, Dr Owais said.

• Meanwhile Arising state tried to contact the Principal GMC Anantnag, but the official was busy in meeting and said he will talk later.