Nagaland has registered a total of 3,338 cancer cases in between 2009 and 2014, with an average 600 new cases being registered every year.
This was revealed by Principal Investigator, Population Based Cancer Registry, Nagaland, Dr V Khamo, while quoting reports of National Cancer Registry Programme on the occasion of World Cancer Day organised by Cancer Society of Northeast (CSNE) here yesterday.
The year wise registration of cancer cases in Nagaland were 2009 - 371, 2010 - 534, 2011 - 505, 2012 - 662, 2013 - 635 and 2014 - 641. Out of the total 3,348 cases, 2,034 were male and 1,314 were female patients, she said.
Nagaland and Manipur has high rate of throat cancer due to smoked meat and salted fish consumption and also firewood burning at homes, Dr Khamo said.
She said Nasopharynx was the leading site of cancer in Naga men with 19.27 per cent followed by stomach cancer at 17.43 per cent and Oesophagus at 16.06 per cent, while among women the leading cancer site was cervix at 19.09 per cent followed by stomach at 13.64 per cent and breast cancer at 11.82 per cent.
CSNE president Lanuakum Jamir said there were 25 million cancer cases globally and India has about 2.5 million cases.
Both Dr Khamo and Lanuakum emphasised on the need to raise awareness about the disease, specially among the youth and rural masses.
Kohima Deputy Commissioner Rovilatuo Mor called upon the people to render care and support to cancer patients, while stating it was the responsibility of the society to positively deal with such patients.
