Mizoram is Bharat’s second least populated State. However,
it exhibits the highest incidence rate of cancer in the country, revealed the
study, titled Cancer Awareness, Diagnosis and Treatment Needs in Mizoram,
India: Evidence from 18 Years Trends 2003-2020.
Cancer incidence and mortality is also growing among
the younger generation in Mizoram, which may stem from the static lifestyle and
dietary style prevalent within the endogamous tribal population, potentially
contributing to a genetic predisposition.
The study, published in The Lancet Regional Health – Southeast
Asia, highlights that the escalation in mortality rates could be attributed to
a dearth of specialised diagnostic facilities and skilled human resources,
treatment strategies guided by genomic research, and transportation challenges.
Findings of this study in Mizoram notes that among men
the most prevalent cancer site was the stomach, followed by head and neck,
lung, oesophagus, colorectal, liver, urinary, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and
prostate cancers.
Conversely, among women, lung cancer exhibited the
highest incidence followed by cervical, breast, stomach, head and neck,
colorectal, oesophagus, liver and ovarian cancers.
As per the World Health Organisation, cancer is a
large group of diseases that can begin in almost any organ or tissue of the
body when abnormal cells grow uncontrollably, and go beyond their usual
boundaries to invade adjoining parts of the body or spread to other organs.
It is the second leading cause of death globally,
accounting for one in six deaths in 2018. Lung, prostate, colorectal, stomach
and liver cancer are the most common types of cancer in men, while breast,
colorectal, lung, cervical and thyroid cancer are the most common among women.
Another paper estimates that one in nine people across
Bharat may develop cancer in their lifetimes.
NE Watch Desk
