Liquor, not pesticides, leading to cancer in Mansa, Sangrur: Survey

Mohit Khanna

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 3

Not high ratio of uranium or overuse of pesticides but excessive consumption of alcohol is one of the leading causes of cancer in Sangrur and Mansa, say researchers who have conducted a survey in this regard.

The fact came to light during the second annual population-based cancer registries of Chandigarh, Mohali, Mansa and Sangrur which were released at the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) today.

The survey report was jointly released by a team of researchers from the PGIMER, Tata Centre, Mumbai, Department of Heath and Family Welfare, Punjab, and Director of Heath Services, Chandigarh.

Prof Rakesh Kapoor from the Department of Oncology, who was a part of the team which carried out the survey, said oesophagus cancer among men was more common in Mansa and Sangrur.

“Generally, oesophagus cancer occurs due to excessive consumption of alcohol. During our survey of both Sangrur and Mansa districts, we found that cases of oesophagus cancer are relatively higher as compared to other type of cancers, which was indeed astonishing. However, we are carrying out further research in this direction,” said Professor Kapoor.

He said late detection and poor diagnostic facilities of cancer were the main reasons behind the increasing mortality rate in rural areas.

Currently, the survival rate of men living in rural areas stands at 35 per cent while the survival rate of women in rural areas stands at 43 to 49 per cent, said Prof JS Thakur, who is the principal investigator of the survey.

He said a majority of the patients learn about cancer when it reaches the advanced stage. Early detection of cancer can curtail the mortality rate, he added.

Surprisingly, in Mohali, which has the dubious distinction being a smoke-free district, a majority of the patients are suffering from lung cancer, which generally occurs due to excessive smoking, followed by prostrate and oesophagus cancers.

In Mohali, nearly 30 per cent (among the total number of women suffering from cancer) of women were suffering from breast cancer while in Sangrur, 23.9 per cent of the total population of women cancer patients are suffering from breast cancer.

Mohali, Sangrur and Mansa districts reported 1,015 incidences of cancer cases in men and 1,158 cases in women during the survey conducted in 2014. In all, 638 male deaths and 564 cases of female deaths were reported in the three districts during the survey.

Chandigarh residents at higher risk 

In Mansa and Sangrur, which are considered to be a part of the infamous cancer belt of Malwa region, the survey report found that merely one in 20 people suffer from cancer while one in 17 women are at the risk of suffering from cancer. As compared to Chandigarh where 12 per cent of the total population is at the risk of suffering from cancer, the count stands at 5 per cent among men and 6 per cent among women in Mansa and Sangrur.