Cervical, breast, lung and mouth cancers are reported in the majority of cases in rural and semi urban areas. Food habits, lifestyle and other reasons caused for the disease.
Nizamabad: Cancer cases rapidly increased in rural areas in north Telangana districts. Due to various reasons, people have been suffering from different kinds of cancer cases. Family members of cancer affected patients facing financial and other problems for medical treatment. They were forced to visit either private hospitals or Hyderabad for medical treatment in government hospitals.
Cervical, breast, lung and mouth cancers are reported in the majority of cases in rural and semi urban areas. Food habits, lifestyle and other reasons caused for the disease. Shockingly, all age groups of people are suffering from cancer. For treatment they are regularly visiting Hyderabad by bearing huge expenses. It is noted that the majority of villages reported at least one cancer case in Nizamabad and Kamareddy districts.
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, Ramachandram of Dubba in Nizamabad said that his wife has been suffering from breast cancer for the last three years. ‘We are small shopkeepers and unable to bear the expenses for the treatment’, he said. Local elected representatives supported us in treatment, he said. Due to cancer treatment our livelihood is also adversely affected, he lamented.
Voluntary organisations are conducting cancer screening camps in Nizamabad and other towns regularly and identifying the patients. Few private doctors have also been providing treatment locally to the cancer patients. Expert doctors also visit towns occasionally to treat the patients. Government General Hospital, area hospitals, urban health centres in towns and primary health centres villages referring the cancer suspects to Hyderabad.
Meanwhile, HPV vaccine drive will be taken up in Nizamabad on February 7. A team of doctors from Hyderabad will reach here to participate in vaccination drive among 12-22 years old girls and women as a precautionary step. Foundation members will collect Rs 1,000 and more from the girls to give the HPV vaccine.
Youths, especially labourers are suffering from mouth cancer. Chewing gutka, tobacco is common practice among the workers. They are habituated to chew the dangerous products, which are illegally sold in Nizamabad and Kamareddy districts. There is an urgent need to conduct cancer awareness meetings in rural and urban areas to prevent the cases and increase the survival of the patients.
