The Kashmir Pulse

SRINAGAR — The Department of Pathology at Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Soura, Srinagar, has informed that they are currently facing a shortage of the reagent required for the "stool for occult blood" test, indicating the test cannot be performed in their clinical pathology lab until further notice.

The department of pathology in a communique addressed to the Medical Superintendent of SKIMS, highlighted the unavailability of the reagent, ortho-toluidine.

The communique has also advised that the information be communicated to the cash counter to prevent patients from being charged for the unavailable test.

The stool for an occult blood test, also known as the faecal occult blood test (FOBT), is a diagnostic procedure used to detect hidden (occult) blood in the stool. This test is often part of routine screening for colorectal cancer or other gastrointestinal conditions, as the presence of blood in the stool can be an early indicator of many diseases.

It is unclear at this time how long the shortage will last. Patients in need of stool occult blood tests have been advised to contact SKIMS for further information and alternative testing options.

SRINAGAR — In a significant leap forward in the fight against gastrointestinal cancers, the Department of Minimal Access and General Surgery at Government Medical College Srinagar spearheaded the inaugural Luminal Malignancy Day on Thursday.

Collaborating with the Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, this milestone event underscored the institution's commitment to advancing treatment options and raising awareness for luminal malignancies.

Led by the esteemed Professor Iqbal Saleem Mir, Head of the Department of Surgery, the day showcased a series of groundbreaking surgeries utilizing cutting-edge laparoscopic techniques. These procedures, targeting various gastrointestinal malignancies, highlighted the faculty's expertise and dedication to providing minimally invasive yet highly effective treatment options.

The Luminal Malignancy Day served as a nexus for interdisciplinary collaboration, uniting experts from surgery, radiation oncology, medical oncology, and the Department of Anaesthesia. This collaborative effort ensures patients receive comprehensive care tailored to their individual needs, from diagnosis to treatment and beyond.

Attendees witnessed live demonstrations of laparoscopic procedures, offering firsthand insight into the precision and innovation driving modern surgical techniques. Professor Iqbal Saleem Mir expressed gratitude to all faculty members, staff, and participants whose collective efforts propelled the Luminal Malignancy Day to resounding success.

Principal of Government Medical College Srinagar, Professor Iffat Hassan Shah, hailed the initiative as a significant milestone in addressing the challenges posed by gastrointestinal cancers. She emphasized the importance of collaboration across specialities in providing comprehensive and state-of-the-art care to patients.

Government Medical College Srinagar reaffirmed its commitment to leading the charge against cancer, aiming to enhance outcomes and quality of life for those affected by luminal malignancies. With an unwavering dedication to medical innovation, the institution stands as a beacon of hope for individuals and families confronting cancer.

SRINAGAR — Despite the increasing number of cancer cases in Kashmir Valley, there is a severe shortage of PET-CT scan machines for staging and assessing treatment responses. With only one such machine available at SKIMS Soura, patients at GMC Srinagar face several challenges in accessing timely and accurate cancer diagnostics.

GMC Srinagar, where around 7,000 new cancer cases were registered, is functioning without a PET Scan machine that is used for the detection of cancer and the evaluation of cancer treatment.

Oncologists informed the news agency KNO that in the modern-day practice of oncology, PET-CT has emerged as a game-changer in the management of cancer but the valley has just a single such machine.

Dr Shabnam, an oncologist, said there is just one PET Scan machine available at SKIMS Soura and there is a need for more such machines in the valley.

Another oncologist, Dr Aijaz, said PET Scan constitutes a major advancement in the initial diagnosis, evaluation, treatment, prognosis, surveillance, and relapse throughout the disease.

PET-CT is an acronym for Positron Emission Tomography – Computed Tomography, which is nuclear medicine equipment that houses a PET scanner and a CT scanner, to acquire multiple sequential views to create 3D images of the body. This modality provides a hybrid image formed by the fusion of the functional image of PET and the anatomical image of CT.

Doctors said there is an immediate need for such a facility at GMC Srinagar as cancer cases in Kashmir are on the rise and such patients have no options other than to visit SKIMS Soura.

They said patients have to wait for a long time to get their turn, which isn't easy for such patients while some are visiting outside Kashmir for diagnosis and treatment.

The medical experts said the majority of the patients cannot afford to visit private clinics or outside the valley, thereby delaying their diagnosis and treatment, which is very essential for the treatment of cancer.

“PET-CT is helping doctors to work out the best treatment and helps to detect primary sites, thereby influencing the choice of chemotherapy," they said, adding, "It would be in the interest of the community as well as for better healthcare facilities if the PET Scan facility will be made available at SMHS Hospital.”

As per the details available, around 45,000 new cancer cases have been registered at SKIMS Soura since 2013, while around 7,000 cancer cases have been registered at GMC Srinagar since 2017.

According to the Union Health Ministry data, 51,577 cases of cancer were reported in J&K in the last four years (2019-2022) with 12,396 in 2019, 12,726 cases in 2020, 13,060 cases in 2021, and 13,395 cases in 2022.

A total of 35,623 people in J&K died with cancer between the years 2018 and 2022 that is 6824 cancer patients were reported to have died in 2018; in 2019, 7003 deaths were reported; in 2020, 7189 deaths were reported; in 2021, 7211 deaths were reported; and in 2022, 7396 cancer patient fatalities were reported.

A 2012 study by the Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) attributed the rising cancer incidence to “dietary practices and lifestyle choices” as well as the intake of foods with high salt content.

SRINAGAR — In six years, Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) Soura has registered over 27,000 patients ailing from cancer disease. Besides, the institute has witnessed 1833 deaths due to different types of cancer.

During this period, the institute has also issued 64,504 Out Patient Department (OPD) cards from the Department of Nephrology.

The official figures of SKIMS accessed by the news agency KNO reveal that from October 2016 to October 2022, the institute registered 27,727 cancer patients.

The Public Information Officer (PIO) SKIMS in a reply to Right to Information (RTI) said, “Total number of OPD cards issued under the Nephrology Department from October 2016 to October 2022 are 64504 and cancer patients registered are 27727.”

“From October 2016 to October 2022, a total number of 17,579 deaths have been registered,” the PIO said.

It also said that there are 1833 patients under Medical Oncology, Radiotherapy, Clinical Hematology and Surgical Oncology during these six years while under the Nephrology department, at least 1145 deaths were recorded.

The PIO also said that 1745 accidental deaths were also recorded by the institute during this period.

About the total number of patients admitted and treated in the State Cancer Institute since its establishment from December 5, 2020 to October 2022, the officer said that at least 2473 patients were admitted and treated while 659 deaths were also recorded.

On asking about the proposal submitted to the government for a separate kidney hospital, the PIO said, “Any kind of proposal for a separate kidney hospital will be dealt with by the administration.”

SRINAGAR — The Department of Nuclear Medicine in Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) conducted the first case of Sentinal Lymphnode Scintigraphy in breast cancer patients on Saturday.

In a statement, a hospital spokesperson said the sample will be taken for SLN biopsy by the Department of Surgical Oncology, while this is another major milestone achieved by the department, benefitting cancer patients.

As per the statement, the Head of the Department Dr. Tanvir Ahmad informed that patients with breast cancer, tongue cancer, and melanoma are going to get benefitted from this procedure. “The procedure is the first of its kind available to the patients of J&K and will go a long way in improving the treatment of cancer patients.”

He said that Lymphoscintigraphy is an imaging technique that is used to identify the lymph drainage basin, determine the number of sentinel nodes, differentiate sentinel nodes from subsequent nodes, locate the sentinel node in an unexpected location, and mark the sentinel node over the skin for biopsy.

Director SKIMS Prof. Parvaiz A Koul complimented the department for conducting the procedure. “The advanced procedure will help poor patients which will be conducted now routinely at SKIMS,” he said, as reported by news agency KNO.

He added the patients had to go outside for such procedures, facing a lot of inconveniences and incurring a lot of expenditures. The procedure, now available at SKIMS, will facilitate such patients.

SRINAGAR — Chairperson Waqf Board, Dr Darakhshah Andrabi on Saturday said that Board has decided to introduce an online system for donations. She also said Waqf would soon construct a cancer hospital in Jammu and Kashmir.

According to the news agency Kashmir News Observer (KNO), Andrabi told reporters that the donations are part of 'Baitulmaal', adding that “we won't allow any disloyalty with the donations by people.”

She said that Waqf will soon start an online system for donations and the deliberations with J&K Bank over the issue are going on.

She further added that a cancer hospital will also come up in Jammu and Kashmir soon, saying that the income will be generated from the assets, which will be used to build the hospital.

SRINAGAR — In a worrisome trend, Kashmir’s leading tertiary care hospital Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) Soura has recorded over 1100 cases of cancer in the first quarter of ensuing year.

The medicos at the Radiation Oncology department of the Institute admit that the cancer cases have shown a steep rise in Kashmir, adding that in men, lung cancer is the most prominent one while women are fast falling prey to breast cancer. The doctors at the institute termed the growing cancer rate as a “cause of great concern.”

Figures accessed by the news agency Kashmir News Observer (KNO), reveal that against last year's total patient load of 4800, SKIMS Soura received 1110 cancer cases in the first three months (January 1 to March 31) of 2022, highest in recent times.

Dr. Fir Afroz, Head of department Radiation Oncology at SKIMS told KNO that out of the total cases received at the Institute, lung cancer was found prominent among men while breast cancer was seen on the rise among women.

She said that smoking is one of the primary reasons of cancer among males. "Family history, obesity, age are among the factors responsible for the cancer cases," Dr Afroz said.

She, however, said that one of the positive changes that has happened in the valley in the past few years is that people are getting aware about the disease. "We have high inflow of such patients who come forward to get themselves treated. People have overcome their fear of getting treated which is a good sign," Dr. Afroz said, adding that “early detecting of the disease helps provide timely treatment, which ultimately can help save the precious life.”

As per Union Health Ministry’s figures, Jammu Kashmir has reported an estimated 39041 cancer cases, of which 12675 were recorded in 2019, 13012 in 2020 and 13354 in 2021.

“Cancer is a multi-dimensional disease and the risk factors inter alia include ageing population, sedentary lifestyle, use of tobacco products, unhealthy diet and air pollution. The number of cancer cases due to water and industrial pollution is not available,” the ministry’s note reads.

Dr Afroz said that the actual rise in the cancer cases could be found at the end of the year after drawing comparison with the last year.

“I urge patients having symptoms of cancer to come forward as early treatment can prevent the disease from spreading further and then help save a life,” she said, adding that at the Institute there is a quality treatment available as far as Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy is concerned.

“Upgradation of the infrastructure is a continuous process,” Dr Afroz said.