Staff Reporter
DIMAPUR, MAY 23 (NPN): Specialists from Medanta– The Medicity have raised concern over what they described as a distinct and worrying disease pattern emerging in Nagaland, warning of rising cancer and cardiac risks linked to lifestyle, dietary habits and lack of early screening.
Speaking during an outreach OPD programme at Faith Hospital and Institute of Medical Sciences, Radiation Oncologist Dr. Sorun Shishak said Nagaland presents a “unique cancer profile” compared to the rest of the country, with relatively higher incidence of nasopharyngeal, esophageal and stomach cancers.
She attributed the trend largely to local dietary practices involving smoked, fermented and pickled foods, processed meats and salted fish. While breast and cervical cancers remained the most common among women, she said the prevalence of gastrointestinal and nasopharyngeal cancers in the State was particularly alarming.
Dr. Shishak cautioned that many cancers could be detected early if warning signs were not ignored. She said symptoms such as breast lumps, nipple discharge, difficulty swallowing, unexplained weight loss, abnormal bleeding and persistent bodily changes required immediate medical attention, stressing that early diagnosis significantly improves chances of cure.
She also highlighted poor screening rates among women in the region, noting that less than one per cent of eligible women undergo routine screening such as mammograms. “Awareness is key. If more people come forward for screening, cancers can be detected much earlier,” she said. On head and neck cancers, she identified tobacco and areca nut consumption as major risk factors and pointed out that many such cancers develop from detectable pre-cancerous lesions, making timely screening highly effective.
Dr. Shishak further informed that Medanta was empanelled under the Chief Minister’s Health Insurance Scheme (CMHIS), enabling patients from Nagaland to avail advanced treatment facilities, including robotic radiation and chemotherapy, often on a cashless basis.
Meanwhile, Cardiologist Dr. C. Manpa Phom warned of a silent but growing burden of heart disease in the State, driven by high salt intake, junk food consumption and sedentary lifestyles.
He said hypertension, diabetes and high cholesterol were major precursors to heart attacks and heart failure. Describing heart attacks as sudden and often fatal, Dr. Phom said symptoms such as chest pain, heaviness radiating to the neck or arms, sweating and dizziness should be treated as medical emergencies.
He cautioned that diabetic patients may not experience typical warning signs, making regular check-ups critical. Chronic heart conditions, he added, often develop gradually and may present as swelling of feet, breathlessness and chest discomfort.
Emphasising prevention, Dr. Phom advised strict control of blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels, along with reduced salt intake and healthier dietary habits. He also urged individuals with a family history of sudden cardiac death to undergo early screening.
Highlighting advances in treatment, he said many cardiac procedures today could be performed through minimally invasive methods without open-heart surgery, including stenting and pacemaker implantation.
On CMHIS coverage, Dr. Phom said many patients from Nagaland were already availing the facility and maintained that cardiac treatments under the scheme were largely cashless.
Both doctors said the outreach OPD initiative at Faith Hospital aimed to bridge the healthcare access gap for patients in Nagaland and assured that such visits would continue regularly, with the next programme likely to be held in June.