Cancer strategy
The Jammu and Kashmir government has decided to launch a comprehensive cancer control strategy along with NITI Aayog and the Indian Council of Medical Research. A phased, evidence-based, and implementable cancer control framework, anchored in research and aligned with national priorities, will be adopted to effectively address the growing cancer burden. The government is planning to set up the Centre for Implementation Research in Oncology to generate scalable, real-world solutions, with particular emphasis on improving quality of life, integrating palliative care, and strengthening health systems. The role of community medicine departments in advancing preventive oncology initiatives will also be factored in to address the issue. Jammu and Kashmir is sitting on a ticking cancer bomb. According to the Population-Based Cancer Registry, 50551 cases were reported in Kashmir and 13912 in Jammu between 2018 and 2024. The UT is witnessing a 2 to 3 percent increase in cancer cases annually. Last year, Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences registered 5,200 cases. Government Medical College (GMC), Jammu, GMC Anantnag, GMC Baramulla, and GMC Kathua recorded 1,700, 500, 100, and 80 cases, respectively. Breast cancer among females and lung cancer among the male population have become the most common in Jammu and Kashmir. Cancer has reached epidemic proportions across the globe. Nearly 18.5 million new cancer cases have been reported in 2023, resulting in 10.4 million deaths. India is already facing a huge cancer burden. According to the ICMR – National Institute of Cancer Prevention and Research, around 2.5 million people are living with the disease in the country. Over seven lakh new cancer cases are reported in India every year. Cancer-related deaths have hit 5,56,400 in the country. Sensing a crisis, the Jammu and Kashmir government has decided to create longitudinal cohorts, biobanks, and randomized controlled trials to generate robust evidence on causative factors, screening effectiveness, and clinical outcomes. The government is also planning to establish a cancer registry for evidence-based planning, monitoring, and policy formulation. Developing advanced diagnostic facilities in all medical colleges, encompassing molecular diagnostics and immunohistochemistry, along with clearly defined referral pathways and patient navigation mechanisms through designated Centres of Excellence are also planned. The government’s initiatives look good on paper. The real issue is the implementation part. Given the rising number of cases, the government should declare cancer a notifiable disease. The treatment for all cancers should be made free in all hospitals. Cancer centers and other infrastructure should be strengthened so that there is no long wait list for cancer therapies. The government should bear the treatment cost of cancer patients in private hospitals, given the limited facilities available in state-run facilities. Unless the government implements long-term measures, the problem will not be solved. The government needs to come to the rescue of cancer patients.