World Cancer Day: To fight, I am and I will

Eastern Mirror Desk Dimapur, Feb. 3: World Cancer Day is a global event observed on Feb. 4 to fight cancer. This year marks the launch of the “I am and I will” campaign for 2019-2021, which is an empowerment call-to-action urging for personal commitment. It represents the power of individual action that is taken in the present to impact the future. According to World Health Organisation’s (WHO) website published on Sept. 12 2018: ‘Cancer was the second leading cause of death globally, and was responsible for an estimated 9.6 million deaths in 2018. Globally, about one in six deaths was due to cancer. Approximately 70% of deaths from cancer occur in low- and middle-income countries.’ “Around one-third of deaths from cancer are due to the five leading behavioural and dietary risks: high body mass index, low fruit and vegetable intake, lack of physical activity, tobacco use, and alcohol use. Tobacco use was the most important risk factor for cancer and was responsible for approximately 22% of cancer deaths.” A retrospection to the cancer awareness in the state reported that on April 13 2018, the government of Nagaland was pushing for establishment of a cancer care centre in the state by way of inviting corporate giant Tata Trust to set up a facility in Nagaland through the initiation of the state’s Governor PB Acharya. It was also informed that the governor had written a letter to Ratan Tata inviting the latter to establish an ‘advanced cancer care programme’ in Nagaland. On May 11 2018, a startling revelation was made that Nagaland topped the number of nasopharyngeal cancers (cancer of head and neck). At the nation level, 15.3% of men and 10.8% of women were reported suffering from nasopharyngeal cancers. This disclosure was made during the meeting of the district level coordination committee (DLCC) on tobacco control. On Sat. Feb. 2, during the inaugural programme of the Association of Oncologist, North East India’s (Aonei) XIV annual conference held in Kohima, it was stated that Nagaland was a ‘leader’ in nasopharyngeal cancer. This aspect was addressed by the principal secretary of Health and Family Welfare I Himato Zhimomi. He also maintained that the state was one of the leaders in ‘providing patients’ with nasopharyngeal cancer in the Northeast and even in the world too. In 2015, it was reported that Nagaland was the second highest consumer of tobacco in the country with 57% while Mizoram was the highest tobacco-consumer population in the country with 70%. Cases of tobacco related cancers are on the rise in Nagaland. This was reported by retired principal director for the Health and Family Welfare department, Dr. Sukhato A Sema. Also, it was revealed that according to the Nagaland School Oral Health Survey 2014 report, 28.3% of school going children are smokeless tobacco-users while 14.8% are into smoking habits; and 41.2% children are engaged by parents to buy tobacco. The district-wise profile of tobacco consumption: Dimapur has the highest number of consumers followed by Kohima. While informing that smokeless tobacco contains 3095 chemicals out of which 28 causes cancer, Sema said that more than 10 lakh people die in India every year due to use of tobacco and its products. As per the WHO, cancer is the leading cause of death worldwide accounting for an estimated 9.6 million deaths in 2018. The most common cancers are lung (2.09 million cases), breast (2.09 million cases), colorectal (1.80 million cases), prostate (1.28 million cases), skin cancer (non-melanoma) (1.04 million cases), and stomach (1.03 million cases). The most common causes of cancer death are cancers of the lung (1.76 million deaths), colorectal (862 000 deaths), stomach (783 000 deaths), liver (782 000 deaths) and breast (627 000 deaths).