Meghalaya Health Minister A.L. Hek on Thursday said East Khasi Hills district has the highest tobacco related cancer cases and also the second highest cancer incidence rate in the country.
"Yes, it is a fact that as per National Cancer Registry Programme, Cancer statistics 2020, East Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya has the second highest cancer incidence rate. It is a fact that East Khasi Hills district has the highest relative proportion of cancers associated with the use of tobacco for both males and females," Mr. Hek told the Assembly.
He said tobacco related cancer of 66.9% in men and 43.1% in women in the district is the highest in the country.
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The Health minister also said that the total number of cancer patients from East Khasi Hills, West Khasi Hills, Jaintia Hills and Ri-Bhoi district is 7,014 in the past five years.
According to senior health officials, there were 3,281 deaths due to cancer from the four districts in the past five years with 2,068 of them being men.