Oral cancer cases on the rise in Manipur

 IMPHAL, March 5  – Oral cancer cases are on the rise in Manipur due to increased consumption of tobacco and tobacco-related products. “Oral cancer cases may explode in Manipur by the next decade or two if the trend of consuming ‘zarda’ or ‘pan’ by the people continues,” the head of the Department of Radiotherapy at the Regional Institute of Medical Science and Hospital here, Th Tomcha, said.

Keeping this in mind, an NGO and some cancer experts have started a campaign in the State to create awareness about the dangers of consumption of tobacco.

Painting a grim picture, Tomcha said that roughly 25 million people suffer from the dreaded disease worldwide and India alone accounts for nearly 2.5 million of them.

He said a sizeable portion of the male population in Manipur also suffers from lung cancer and women breast cancer mainly due to their food habits and unhealthy lifestyle.