Challenge to Public Health
Pancreatic cancer, long regarded as one of the most lethal malignancies, continues to pose a formidable challenge to public health, primarily because it remains silent until reaching an advanced stage in UT of Jammu and Kashmir.
Doctors in Kashmir warn that the disease is slowly but steadily rising across the region, driven by lifestyle changes, increasing tobacco use, and a growing burden of diabetes and obesity. The message from oncologists is clear, awareness and early vigilance are now more important than ever to overcome this challenge in Kashmir valley.
As experts like explain, pancreatic cancer often begins in the ducts of the pancreas and rarely presents distinct symptoms early on.
Vague signs, mild abdominal discomfort, back pain, unexplained weight loss are frequently overlooked until the disease becomes aggressive and difficult to treat.
With smoking alone accounting for up to a third of all cases, and chronic pancreatitis, alcohol use, genetic mutations, and high-fat diets contributing to risk, prevention must become a community-wide priority in Kashmir.
The trend in Jammu and Kashmir mirrors a broader national concern. While pancreatic cancer remains less common than breast, lung, or stomach cancers, its incidence is rising, partly due to better diagnostic tools but also due to poor lifestyle habits and delayed medical consultation.
