A recently conducted door-to-door survey by Punjab Health Department confirms exponential rise of cancer cases in the Indian State of Punjab as compared to 2011. The large scale survey was conducted from October 2012 to December 2012 by the Health Department covering 97.78 percent of the population in the State, as per the census data.
Of the 12,603 villages, 217 cities and towns, this State wide cancer awareness and symptom-based early detection campaign has discovered that while 215 people per lakh have died of cancer, another 318 per lakh are suspected of suffering from the deadly disease. “This survey truly is shocking as people in Punjab (especially small cities and towns) are believed to consume fresh, home grown and healthy produce leading a relaxed, stress-free life unlike city people,” says a leading nutritionist in Chandigarh.
Statistically, while 23,874 cancer cases have been detected, around 84,453 persons were found complaining of cancer-like symptoms. Worse still, in addition to the large number of the detected and suspected cancer cases, as much as 33,318 cancer deaths have been reported in just last five years, an average of nearly 18 persons daily are losing their lives to this disease. Of the State, the worst struck region is Malwa where in the past five years 14,682 have died of cancer and as many as 4,000 in ludhiana.
World Health Organisation has shared a point of reference of 80 affected cancer cases among a population of one lakh. The recent survey discovered that situation in Punjab is critical with 90 in a population of one lakh were suffering from cancer.When the entire data was analysed region wise, Malwa (107.1 per lakh), Doaba (88.1 per lakh) and Majha (64.7 per lakh) were the worst hit areas. District-wise, highest incidence of reported cancer cases and deaths in Malwa district was in Muktsar (136.3 per lakh) and in Doaba district, highest reported cancer cases was in Kapurthala (99.1 per lakh) but the highest number of deaths occurred in Jalandhar. In Majha, Amritsar had the highest incidence (81.2 per lakh) as well as death count.
Dr SC Sharma, Head of the Department of Radiotherapy, PGIMER said, “Since this survey does not share details on the gender and the type of cancer, arriving at the causative reason is a challenge. Increased chemical levels or polluted water, increased intake of tobacco, alcohol and chemically contaminated non-vegetarian food might be some of the reasons. But a definitive reasoning will require further in-depth research.” In the last survey conducted in the year 2009, around 7738 people were reported to be living with cancer across Punjab. But now with almost three-fold rise in the incidence government is taking this issue ahead.