Cancer Crisis: Alarming Trends in Jammu Region

The State Cancer Institute at Government Medical College Jammu reported 9,427 cancer cases over five years, with most being advanced-stage diagnoses. Men were more affected than women. Lung cancer was the most prevalent type. Jammu had the highest regional case count, and the elderly were most affected.

A comprehensive report from the State Cancer Institute at Government Medical College Jammu has revealed a startling number of 9,427 cancer cases documented over a five-year span. The majority of these patients sought medical assistance only when the disease had advanced to Stage III or Stage IV.

Hospital-Based Cancer Registry data spanning from 2020 to 2024 shows a male-to-female patient ratio of 1.31:1, with males experiencing a greater cancer burden. Lung cancer surfaced as the predominant malignancy, accounting for 1,338 cases. Following this were head and neck cancers with 1,005 cases and breast cancer with 704 cases.

Jammu district emerged as the area with the highest number of cases, totaling 3,671. Data indicated that 4,234 of the reported cases were in patients aged 60-80 years. Alarmingly, a significant portion of diagnoses occurred in Stage III and IV, highlighting a critical issue in early cancer detection and treatment access.

(With inputs from agencies.)