Cancer incidence higher in urban Punjab
THE REPORT ESTIMATES THE RISK OF GETTING CANCER IN MALES IN THE RANGE OF 5% TO 12% AND IN FEMALES AT 6% TO 13%; THE INCIDENCE OF HIGH BREAST CANCER IN MOHALI; UTERUS IS THE SECOND LEADING SITE OF CANCER IN MOHALI AND SANGUR
CHANDIGARH:THE risk of cancer is double in the urban areas than rural areas in Punjab, according to a report.
The study ‘Cancer Burden in Chandigarh and Punjab’ by the Population-based Cancer Registries (PBCR) was released at the PGIMER on Friday evening. A collaborative project of the Tata Memorial Centre, Mumbai, and Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), and director, health services, Chandigarh, the study refers to data from 2013-14.
The report estimates the risk of getting cancer in males in the range of 5% to 12% and in females at 6% to 13%.
In Punjab, the report covers three districts of Punjab, namely Mohali, Sangrur and Mansa, which constitute 13% population of the state.
While Mohali has been categorised as the urban centre, Sangrur and Mansa have been counted as rural areas of the state.
The report mentions that Sangrur and Mansa cancer registry incidence rates are lower than the urban cancer registries. However, it is higher in comparison with other rural registries of the country.
Mohali, Sangrur and Mansa district registries have reported incidence of 1,015 cancer cases among males and 1,158 cases
among females.
There were 638 deaths among males and 564 deaths among females in the three districts.
The cancer incidence in Mohali is 82 per 1 lakh among males and 99 among females.
In Sangrur and Mansa districts, it is 48 and 60 among males and females, respectively.
The registry has covered 100% population of Chandigarh and that of urban areas of all three districts as well 1,200 villages. The incidence and mortality has been documented at the sector, block and village levels.
The report also throws light on how female cancer incidence rate in Mohali is slightly higher than the national rate (103.5 vs 97.4 per 1 lakh). However, the male cancer incidence rate is lower than the national rate (80.4 vs 92.4 per 1 lakh).
Similarly, uterus is the second leading site of cancer in Mohali and Sangur while it’s the first leading site in Mansa.
On the other hand, oesophagus cancer is the predominant kind in Sangrur and Mansa.
Elaborating on the reasons for the trend, Dr Rakesh Kapoor of the radiotherapy department at Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research and co-investigator of the report, told Hindustan Times, “The pattern of Mohali, which falls in the urban category, is similar to that of Chandigarh.”
He added, “The incidence of high breast cancer in Mohali, therefore, is attributed to the same reasons found in urban areas such as late marriage and late child birth that lead to risk of higher cases of such cancers.”
Kapoor said lifestyle habits such less physical activity, obesity, smoking, excessive intake of alcohol in urban areas leads to higher incidence of such cases in urban area than in the rural areas.
While UT home secretary Anurag Agarwal wanted to know whether the cases of cancer referred from remote parts of Punjab to Chandigarh’s Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research were added to the UT’S data or Punjab, experts and investigators of the report told HT that thorough filtration was carried out to ensure such cases were included in the districts from where they came to ensure authenticity of data.
In fact, while Punjab has long been in the limelight for being among the worst affected regions, Dr Kapoor clarified that it depends on whether one is segregating the cases in Punjab’s Malwa belt with the rest of the state while comparing them with the national average.
This is second annual report of the registry that has put the cancer incidence rates in comparison with other parts of the India.
However, rural cancer registry rates are lower than the urban registries.