Tobacco behind more than a quarter of India’s cancer cases

Context:

As many as 27 percent of cancer cases were caused due to tobacco consumption, according to a new report released by the National Cancer Registry of India (NCRI).

Cancer

• Cancer is when the cells start to grow out of control.
• The cancer cells keep on growing and making new cells. They crowd out normal cells. This causes problems in the part of the body where cancer started.
• Cells become cancerous due to the accumulation of defects, or mutations, in their DNA. Certain: ” Inherited genetic defects (for example, BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations) ” Infections ” Environmental factors (for example, air pollution) ” Poor lifestyle choices — such as smoking and heavy alcohol use can also damage DNA and lead to cancer

Tumor

• Most cancers form a lump called a tumor. But not all lumps are cancer.
• Lumps that are not cancer are called benign. Lumps that are cancer are called malignant.
• There are some cancers, like leukemia (cancer of the blood), that don’t form tumors. They grow in the blood cells or other cells of the body.

Types of Cancer

Carcinoma is cancer that starts in the skin or the tissues that line other organs.

• Lung cancer: Cancer that begins in the lungs and most often occurs in people who smoke.
• Breast Cancer: Cancer that forms in the cells of the breasts.
• Prostate cancer: Cancer in a man’s prostate, a small walnut-sized gland that produces seminal fluid.
• Sarcoma is a cancer of connective tissues such as bones, muscles, cartilage, and blood vessels.
• Leukemia is a cancer of bone marrow, which creates blood cells.
• Lymphoma and myeloma are cancers of the immune system.
• Brain and spinal cord cancers – these are known as central nervous system cancers

National Cancer Registry of India

• The Indian Council of Medical Research set up the National Cancer Registry Programme (NCRP) in 1982.
• The program is overseen by the ICMR National Centre for Disease Informatics & Research (NCDIR), Bengaluru.
• A network of population and hospital-based cancer registries (PBCR, HBCR) systematically collects data related to cancer incidence, mortality, and clinical aspects to estimate burden, trends, survival, and management.

Is Cancer a notifiable disease?

• The majority of states in India have not declared cancer as a notifiable disease
• So far, only nine states in India have cancer as a notifiable disease so far either as administrative order or Gazette notification, including Karnataka.
• A notifiable disease is any disease that is required by law to be reported to government authorities. The collation of information allows the authorities to monitor the disease and provides early warning of possible outbreaks.

How Tobacco is killing people?

• Poisons in tobacco smoke can damage or change a cell’s DNA.
• Toxic gases damage the cilia, while Tar, the solid particle in tobacco smoke coats lungs like soot in a chimney. Some chemicals in your cigarette are:
  • Ammonia – commonly used in toilet cleaners
  • Cyanide – used as rat poison
  • Formaldehyde – used in laboratories for the preservation of dead specimens
  • Nicotine – a habit-forming, addictive drug.