25% cancer deaths in Maha, UP

Of 5.35L Fatalities In 2011, State Accounted For 50,989

New Delhi: Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra together accounted for 25% of all cancer deaths in India past year. 

    Delhi recorded lowest cancer mortalities — less than 9,000. West Bengal recorded the fourth highest cancer deaths (40,199), followed by Tamil Nadu (39,127). India recorded over half a million deaths due to cancer in 2011 — 5.35 lakh as against 5.14 lakh (2009) and 5.24 lakh (2010). UP recorded 89,224 deaths due to cancer, while Maharashtra saw 50,989 fatalities. 

    Bihar reported 43,864 cancer deaths. Similarly, Andhra Pradesh saw 37,144 deaths, Rajasthan (30,976), Madhya Pradesh (27,214) and Gujarat (26,588). 

    The Union health ministry says there are 28 lakh cancer cases at any given point of time in India, with 10 lakh new cases being reported annually. World Health Organization says, the estimated cancer deaths in India are projected to increase to seven lakh by 2015. 

    Cancers account for 14% of the overall non-communicable diseases (NCDs) mortality in India. Also, they account for about of 3.3% of the disease burden in the country, and about 9% of all deaths. 

    "Cancer has become one of the 10 leading causes of death in India. Around 40% of cancer cases are due to tobacco use," said a Planning Commission paper for the 12th Five Year Plan on NCDs. 

    Over 70% of cancer cases in India are diagnosed during the advanced stages of the disease, resulting in poor survival and high mortality rates. Cancer is curable if detected early. The results of treatment in stage I and II (early stage) are about 80%. 

KILLER CLAWS 

India recorded 5.35 lakh cancer deaths in 2011 Bihar recorded the third highest deaths (43,864) followed by West Bengal (40,199) & TN (39,127) Union health ministry says there are 28 lakh cancer cases at any given point of time in India 

10 lakh new cases being reported annually across the country 

WHO says the estimated cancer deaths in India are projected to increase to 7 lakh by 2015 

Over 70% of cancer cases in India are diagnosed at the advanced stage of the disease

H1N1 infects three more in city

Five Cases Reported So Far, Three From Single Family In Mulund

The BMC on Tuesday reported three new swine flu cases. The H1N1 influenza virus has resurfaced in the city after almost a year, infecting five people so far this time around; three of the patients are from one family in Mulund. 

    The new patients, who, according to the BMC, tested positive for H1N1 last week, are a man aged 57 from Bandra, one aged 53 from Elphinstone Road and a man aged 37, who is a member of the Mulund family. The earlier patients are the 37-yearold man's son aged six and mother aged 57. 

    The family has no recent travel history, indicating that the three members contacted the virus in the city. After the family's case was reported, the BMC screened around 150 families in Mulund for H1N1 symptoms. But no more positive cases were found, said additional municipal commissioner Manisha Mhaiskar. 

    The Bandra and Elphinstone Road men, who are friends, have a travel history involving Alibaug. The civic body's executive health officer Dr Anil Bandivadekar said all patients were stable. "They have been put on antiviral drugs and are responding well." 

    A worrying observation by the BMC is that the Mulund man and his mother's cases are asymptomatic, meaning they did not show any classic symptoms of the infection. The infection in them was detected when the man insisted on getting tested. "But this is not surprising," said Dr Abhay Chaudhary, director, Haffkine Research Institute. "H1N1 is more like a seasonal flu now. The more we test people, the more positive cases 

would come. But they 

may be having subclinical infection and not suffering from it." 

    Super Religare Laboratories (SRL), one of the labs accredited to carry out H1N1 testing, has found H1N1 to be the predominant influenza virus in circulation. Out of the 39 samples tested for influenza in the city, five have tested for H1N1 and only one for influenza type A. (Influenza virus types A and B are commonly in circulation and regarded seasonal. H1N1 is a subtype of type A.) In Pune, in a sample size of 325, 68 tested positive for H1N1 and 32 for influenza type A. In light of the fresh cases in Mumbai, surveillance has been intensified, said Mhaiskar. "All hospital outpatient departments and dispensaries have been told to be vigilant." 

She said private laboratories have been told to intimate the civic body about all positive cases they detect. Apparently, the state's epidemiology cell was in the dark about the new cases in Mumbai till they were reported in the media. Bandivadekar, however, said that since the patients were not in a 'serious condition', intimation was not the priority. 

    Meanwhile, Mhaiskar said there was nothing to panic about. But Haffkine's Chaudhary suggested vaccination f o r h e a l t h - c a re wo rke r s as their immune systems might not be geared for viral attacks. WHO SHOULD GO FOR TESTING? 

Category C patients 

SYMPTOMS | Mild fever (below 100°F), cough, throat irritation, body ache, headache, diarrhoea and vomiting 

SWAB COLLECTION | Not recommended 

TREATMENT | Regular drugs. No oseltamivir (anti-viral drug marketed under the trade name Tamiflu). Reassessment of patient after 24 hours 

Category B patients 

SYMPTOMS | Category C symptoms, high fever (above 100°F), severe sore throat, running nose, etc 

SWAB COLLECTION | Only of patients with associated illnesses (comorbid conditions) like diabetes, hypertension, high blood pressure, etc 

TREATMENT | Oseltamivir 

Category A patients 

SYMPTOMS | High fever, runny nose, breathlessness, chest pain, haemoptysis (coughing blood), hypotension (low BP), bluish discolouration of nails, irritation and drowsiness in children 

SWAB COLLECTION | All patients 

TREATMENT | Oseltamivir