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Srinagar: Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir continues to witness a high burden of oesophageal, with experts attributing the trend to cultural practices, environmental exposure, and improved diagnostics.<\/p>\n
According to Kashmir Media Service, Dr Shahid Wani, Head of Oncology at Government Medical College Islamabad, said Kashmir forms part of the \u201cAsian oesophageal cancer belt\u201d \u2014 a stretch with high incidence extending from Iran through Central Asia to northern China. He said the prevalence was likely high decades ago but remained underreported due to limited diagnostic facilities.<\/p>\n
\u201cToday, with better screening and advanced infrastructure, more cases are being detected,\u201d Dr Wani said. He highlighted consumption of Noon Chai at very high temperatures as a major risk, saying repeated thermal injury to the oesophagus can increase cancer risk. Improper drying and storage of vegetables causing fungal contamination and aflatoxin exposure was also flagged as a concern. Tobacco use, particularly smoking and swallowing tobacco juices, significantly raises the risk of oesophageal and gastric cancers, he added.<\/p>\n
On pesticides and fungicides, Dr Wani said while they contain carcinogens, there is no conclusive evidence linking them to Kashmir\u2019s high incidence. \u201c(Indian) Punjab has higher pesticide use but reports around 5 cases per lakh, while Kashmir reports 20 to 40 cases per lakh,\u201d he said, pointing to lifestyle and environmental factors.<\/p>\n
Dr Wani stressed public awareness, early detection, and lifestyle changes. He advised avoiding excessively hot beverages, ensuring proper food storage, and shunning tobacco. \u201cTimely diagnosis and preventive strategies can go a long way. Awareness at the community level is crucial,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Srinagar: Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir continues to witness a high burden of oesophageal, with experts attributing the trend to cultural practices, environmental exposure, and improved diagnostics. According to Kashmir Media Service, Dr Shahid Wani, Head of Oncology at Government Medical College Islamabad, said Kashmir forms part of the \u201cAsian oesophageal cancer belt\u201d \u2014 …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":194889,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-199138","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-indian-occupied-jammu-and-kashmir"],"yoast_head":"\n