Mizoram, Arunachal top NE cancer rates; Manipur below national average

Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh have the highest cancer incidence rates in the Northeast, while Manipur's rates are below both the regional and national averages, according to Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) figures shared in Imphal on Friday, Northeast Now reported.

The data was presented by Dhabali Thangjam, chairman and managing director of the BABINA Group of Companies, at a breast cancer awareness and screening programme at the Manipur Press Club. The event was organised by the American Oncology Institute, Babina Specialty Hospital and the All Manipur Working Journalists' Union.

The numbers

• Mizoram has the region's highest cancer incidence among men: 269 cases per 1,00,000 men.
• Arunachal Pradesh has the highest incidence among women: 219 cases per 1,00,000 women.
• Manipur records 71.1 cases per 1,00,000 women and 62.8 per 1,00,000 men.
• The national averages cited were 105 per 1,00,000 women and 95 per 1,00,000 men.

These are incidence rates (new cases per 1,00,000 people), not death rates. ICMR's National Cancer Registry Programme compiles such figures from population-based cancer registries, several of which are in the Northeast, and the region has long recorded some of India's highest rates, especially for cancers linked to tobacco.

Early detection stressed

Thangjam said awareness and early detection mattered even in a state with comparatively lower rates. A cancer diagnosis should not be treated as a death sentence, he said, since many cancers are highly treatable when found early.

He said about one in nine people in India faces a lifetime risk of cancer. Lung cancer is the most common form among Indian men and breast cancer among women. He linked a fall in cervical cancer cases in the region to better hygiene and lifestyle changes, and said avoiding tobacco and smoking was among the most important ways to reduce risk.

Treatment closer to home

Thangjam recalled that patients from Manipur once had to travel to Guwahati or other cities for specialised cancer care. He said the American Oncology Institute unit at Babina Specialty Hospital had helped fill gaps in local diagnosis and treatment.

Breast cancer screening usually involves a clinical breast examination and, where advised, a mammogram. Women who notice a lump, skin changes or nipple discharge should consult a doctor without delay.