Housewives a high-risk group, account for 78.5% of cancer cases among Chandigarh women

Bad food habits, stress and lack of exercise to be blamed, say experts; among men, govt employees were the most likely to develop the disease

A staggering 78.5% of the women in Chandigarh who developed cancer were housewives, the population-based cancer registry (PBCR) for the years 2015 and 2016 has revealed.

Among women, breast cancer is the leading site, which is due to bad food habits, restricted activity, and high-stress levels, finds study. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The registry further reveals that one in every 8th woman and one in every 9th man in Chandigarh is at risk of developing cancer.

“In the years 2015 and 2016, PBCR registered 1,800 cancer cases, of which 907 were males and 893 were females. The age-adjusted incidence rate for males is 96.6 per 1,00,000 population and for females, it is 100.9 per 1,00,000 population. The cumulative risk for the age group 0-74 years in males is 11.6% (1 in 9 men is at risk of developing cancer) and in females, it is 12.2% (1 in 8 females is at risk of developing cancer),” the report states.

Of the 893 female cancer patients, 706 were housewives while 111 (12.4%) were government employees, the registry data shows. Among the men, government employees formed 42.3% of the total 907 cases.

Population with a sedentary lifestyle at risk

Professor JS Thakur, principal investigator of the registry, said that most cases were found among the population with a sedentary lifestyle.

“The part of the population which has a lifestyle involving little or no physical activity and a great amount of stress is at greater risk of having cancer, and the data gathered here in the registry reveals the same,” said Dr Thakur.

Dr Pankaj Malhotra, professor of internal medicine and investigator of the registry, said that food habits and lack of regular exercise are the main factors of cancer among housewives.

“Among women, breast cancer is the leading site, which is due to bad food habits, restricted activity, and high-stress levels. Most of the cases we receive at PGIMER are in the advanced stages because women do not screen themselves regularly. Regular exercise and low stress levels can decrease the incidence of cancer. The type of cancers in Chandigarh are mostly found in affluent societies which are linked to bad lifestyle,” said Dr Pankaj Malhotra.

The third report of Population-Based Cancer Registry was released on Saturday by Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, in collaboration with Tata Memorial Centre, Mumbai, and Chandigarh health department.

Report recommends programmes for early detection

The report recommended early detection programmes, including etiological and survival analysis, with focus on breast, cervix uteri, oesophagus, prostate, lung and oral cancer. It also recommends that cancer should be made a notifiable disease in Chandigarh. There should be a robust mechanism for interstate sharing of data with neighboring states of Rajasthan and Haryana, it further stated. States may consider introducing an electronic medical record system under the National Digital Health Mission.