The steady rise in cancer cases in Jammu and Kashmir demands urgent policy attention and a stronger healthcare infrastructure. With cases crossing 12,000 in 2025 and over 59,000 recorded in just five years, the region is clearly facing a growing non-communicable disease burden that cannot be ignored.

True, part of this increase may be attributed to improved diagnostics and better reporting. But the reality is that lifestyle changes, environmental pressures, dietary patterns, and tobacco consumption are quietly contributing to a long-term public health challenge that Kashmir is only beginning to fully confront.

What makes the situation particularly concerning is that cancer care remains unevenly distributed. The fact that the State Cancer Institute in Kashmir is functioning on “deployed manpower” rather than fully sanctioned and permanent staffing reflects the gap between the scale of the problem and the preparedness of the system. A rising disease burden cannot be managed through temporary arrangements.

The most important lesson from global cancer trends is that treatment alone cannot solve the crisis. Prevention and early detection must become central to public health policy. Doctors are right in pointing out that nearly half of cancers are preventable. So we need awareness campaigns against tobacco use, promotion of physical activity, improved dietary habits, and vaccination against cancer-linked infections.

Equally important is building a culture of early screening. In many cases, patients in Kashmir still reach hospitals in advanced stages of the disease, when treatment becomes more expensive, more complex, and less effective. This is not just a medical issue but also a social one involving stigma, lack of awareness, and delayed health-seeking behaviour.

We also need to pay attention to pesticide use, food safety, changing consumption patterns, and pollution.The message is clear: cancer is no longer a distant or rare disease. It is now a major public health reality affecting thousands of families across Jammu and Kashmir. The response must therefore move beyond individual treatment to a coordinated strategy involving government, medical institutions, civil society, and citizens themselves. If acted upon now, the rising numbers can still be contained. If ignored, they may soon become a crisis far more difficult to manage.

© Greater Kashmir