Mizoram has the highest rate of cancer in India

October 27, 2023 07:47 pm | Updated October 28, 2023 01:56 pm IST - NEW DELHI Despite being the country’s second least populated State, Mizoram exhibits the highest incidence rate of cancer in India. The latest evidence from an 18-year trend study notes a consistent uptick in cancer incidence and mortality in the State, with stomach cancer emerging as the primary cause of cancer-related deaths among men, while lung cancer plays a parallel role among women. Cancer incidence and mortality is also growing among the younger generation in Mizoram, which may stem from the static lifestyle and dietary patterns prevalent within the endogamous tribal population, potentially contributing to a genetic predisposition, according to the study, titled “Cancer awareness, diagnosis and treatment needs in Mizoram, India: evidence from 18 years trends ’’, which was recently published in The Lancet Regional Health — Southeast Asia. Meanwhile findings of this recent study in Mizoram notes that among men the most prevalent cancer site was the stomach, followed by head and neck, lung, oesophagus, colorectal, liver, urinary, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and prostate cancers. Conversely, among women, lung cancer exhibited the highest incidence followed by cervical, breast, stomach, head and neck, colorectal, oesophagus, liver and ovarian cancers.