Cancer! We can no longer scroll past the word as if it were a distant or alien tragedy. In Kashmir today, it’s everywhere—whispered in hospital corridors, mentioned in family gatherings, discussed in hushed tones. It’s no longer someone else’s story; it’s ours.

A few months ago, a close friend of mine, was diagnosed with lung cancer. He is just thirty-three—young, full of dreams, and too familiar now with the cold precision of medical reports. His courage is immense, but watching him struggle has shaken me deeply. I began to notice how many others around us share a similar fate—neighbours, colleagues, relatives. It’s as if the disease has silently crept into every neighbourhood of our valley.

The rising tide of cancer cases threatens to overwhelm the overburdened healthcare system. The number is more than a statistical shock. Between 2018 and 2024, over 67,000 new cancer cases were reported in Jammu and Kashmir, with more than 50,000 emerging from the valley alone. These are not mere statistics—they are lives, families, dreams, and futures that evaporate quietly. The deadly disease crushes the victim and the family with a twin blow –aptly described........

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