Gastric Cancer in Kashmir

Abstract

Gastric cancer has been reported to be a highly prevalent malignancy in Kashmir, where together withesophageal cancer it accounts for more than 60% of all cancers, much higher than in other parts of the region.Particular life style habits like consumption of salted tea and tobacco smoking by hukkah, as well as Helicobacterpylori infection, are often mentioned in the context of risk factors. However, the majority of the population doesnot consume alcohol and the prevalence of H. pylori does not appear to explain the high incidence of gastric cancerin the population. Other prevalent habits of gastric cancer patients are presented here along with demographicand tumor details. In future, well designed studies of incidence rates (population based) are essential along withinvestigations of reported and suspected risk factors.