Assam to be fully screened for cancer within two years: ACCF

Guwahati, Nov 23: Assam Cancer Care Foundation (ACCF), South Asia's largest affordable cancer care network, has chalked out plans to screen the entire 'eligible' population of the state in the next two years. Since its inception, the foundation, a joint venture of the Assam Government and Tata Trusts, has screened over 10.48 lakh people.

Of them, 184 were con- firmed to have oral cancer, 71 had breast cancer and 24 had cervical cancer. Another 746 are suspected cases of oral cancer, 465 are suspected cases of breast cancer and 217 are suspected cases of cervical cancer. The screening teams have referred the suspected cases to specialists and are awaiting biopsy reports. "Assam has one of the highest cancer incidences in India, driven by factors like late- stage detection, limited healthcare access, and high tobacco consumption. The situation is dire in remote and underserved areas, such as tea gardens, where awareness and access to healthcare services are minimal," an official said.

In the next two years, ACCF aims to screen 100 per cent of Assam's eligible population, people aged 30 years and more - which is 37 percent of its 3.2 million residents.

It aims to detect cancers and other NCDs early, and improve survival rates and health outcomes. "Despite national initiatives like the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NP- NCD) and the National Programme for Palliative Care (NPPC), rural areas often face delayed cancer diagnoses due to the absence of organised screening programmes. "Screening services remain concentrated in urban centres, leaving rural populations at higher risk of late-stage diagnoses," the official said.

To counter this, ACCF's community outreach programme integrates cancer prevention and care with the NP-NCD and NPPC, focusing on early screening, tobacco cessation, and expanding palliative care services for cancer and chronic illnesses.

Trained frontline health workers, including ASHAS and ANMs, play a pivotal role in delivering these services at the community level. ACCF's screening teams, comprising trained dentists and nurses, are currently operational in 14 districts and the plan is to cover all 35 districts of Assam by December 2024.

"Dentists focus on oral cancer screening, while nurses handle breast and cervical cancer detection. They are adequately trained in cancer screening. These efforts are complemented by training sessions for ASHAS and Health and Wellness Centre (HWC) staff, ensuring a broader reach and stronger community engagement," he said. Breast, cervical, and oral cancers collectively account for 34 percent of all cancer cases in India, marking them significant public health challenges. "Early detection is crucial, as survival rates for solid tumours, which constitute 90 percent of adult cancers, can reach 90 percent if diagnosed early," the official added. Nine of the planned 17 hospitals of the network are currently functional, and the remaining are under construction.

By-

Rituraj Borthakur