Srinagar, July 07 (KNS): Jammu and Kashmir has seen a spurt in lung cancer cases particularly in the Valley with mortality rate of 60 to 70 percent, a top cancer surgeon at Tata Memorial Centre, Mumbai said.
Speaking exclusively to Kashmir News Service (KNS), Dr Pankaj Chaturvedi who is head Neck Cancer Surgeon and deputy director of Centre for Cancer Epidemiology at Tata Memorial Centre, Mumbai said it is surprising that lung cancer in Jammu and Kashmir particularly in the Valley is on rise.
“We get lots of patients from J&K in Mumbai for treatment. The alarming rise in lung cancer in J&K population is surprising,” he said.
He said the rising cases of lung cancer with mortality rate of 60 to 70 percent in J&K means those who are diagnosed with the disease are dying within a year or two. “Patients come to us in advanced stages because of smoking. Young people in the Valley consume smoke at an alarming rate and their life styles are not healthy also.”
He said prior to taking up the work on constructing anti-cancer infrastructure in J&K all should work on preventive measures and convince youth not to smoke. “While we build a cancer hospital in J&K, let us work on prevention and give a clear and loud message to youth to avoid smoking” he said.
He added the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between J&K Government and Tata Memorial Centre, Mumbai was aimed to offer technical assistance in establishing cancer hospital in Jammu as well as in Kashmir.
“We are now going to work with doctors at SKIMS. You will see after a period of 2 or 3 years that local patients will not go outside J&K for treatment,” he added.
He held that healthcare facilities have to make available at the doorsteps of the people both in district levels as well as far-off places of J&K. (KNS)