Chewing tobacco fuelling oral cancer: Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani

GANDHINAGAR: Chief minister Vijay Rupani said that chewing of tobacco has been fueling cases of oral cancer among men, especially in Saurashtra, and that cancer patients in the state have been increasing.

Interestingly, data provided by the state government in the recent budget session of the assembly said that cancer cases have been on the decline over the past three years, ending 2019.

“The number of cancer patients in Gujarat have been increasing. Especially in Saurashtra, there is a lot of prevalence of oral cancer among men because of chewing of tobacco. There are also a lot of instances of breast cancer among women,” Rupani said on Tuesday, while inaugurating a government cancer hospital at Bhavnagar.

He added, “Treatment of cancer is very expensive in private hospitals. The instruments used in treatment of cancer are also extremely expensive, each costing around Rs 25 crore. The government has set up cancer hospitals in Rajkot, Jamnagar and Bhavnagar to provide free cancer treatment for people.”

In reply to a question by Dasada MLA Naushad Solanki in the recently held budget session of the assembly, the state government provided figures on cancer cases over the past five years.

According to government figures, the number of cancer cases registered in 2016 stood at 16,224, which have been reducing steadily and 14,179 cases were registered in 2019.