Abstract
An epidemiological shift has resulted in increase in the prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCD). Unlike other NCDs which are easily and definitely preventable, the knowledge of cancer prevention is still limited at present. Various aetiological factors are difficult to control since those are habit forming. Hence an available remedy remains its secondary and tertiary prevention for which appropriate planning is of paramount importance. Evidence based planning requires careful analysis of data with a view to prioritize various cancers. Keeping in view the fact that the adaptation of smoking free status in Chandigarh city might have a far reaching positive effect on the cancer related morbidity of the people, the following study was undertaken to provide base line data to be used for future comparisons. The registers maintained in the Department of Radiotherapy were checked and those belonging to the years 1999 to 2009 were utilized to analyze the cancer morbidity in respect to age, sex, and year of presentation to health care facility. A total of 4,600 cancer patients (males=2276, females=2324) demonstrated a gradual increase in the number of cancer cases from 150 in the year 1999 to 783 in the year 2009. The most common cancers amongst males were cancer of gastro-intestinal tract (GIT) and lung (including larynx) constituting 37.3% and 27.1% of the total, respectively. In females these were cancers of breast and cervix representing 33.3% and 17.6% of total cancer cases, respectively, and lung cancer constituted 5.3%. The maximum cases of bone cancer (53.8% of all bone cancers) were observed amongst children aged less than 20 years and lung cancer (48.2% of all lung cancers) among the elderly aged 60-69 years.
Highlights
Cancer is the most important disease compelling health personals to realize the truth “prevention is better than cure”
An available remedy remains its secondary and tertiary prevention for which appropriate planning is of paramount importance
The maximum cases of bone cancer (53.8% of all bone cancers) were observed amongst children aged less than 20 years and lung cancer (48.2% of all lung cancers) among the elderly aged 60-69 years
Summary
Cancer is the most important disease compelling health personals (including general public) to realize the truth “prevention is better than cure”. Primary prevention of cancer is most desirous, though it remains difficult. For its secondary and tertiary prevention, appropriate planning is of paramount importance. Evidence based planning requires careful analysis of data with a view to prioritize various cancers. In the world as a whole the cancers of lung, breast & colorectal region constitute 12.3%, 10.4% and 9.4% of total cancers respectively. Due to higher exposure of males to causative agents cancers of lung, stomach, esophagus, liver & bladder are more common in them (WHO, 2008). The total cancer burden is highest in affluent societies, mainly due to a high incidence of tumors associated with smoking and western lifestyle. I.e., cancer of the lung, colon, rectum, breast and prostate. About 22.4 million persons were living with cancer in the year 2002 (WHO, 2003) (representing 19% increase since 1990)
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