Imphal, January 15 2010: Lung cancer is the most common form of cancer in Manipur.

This is recorded in the Population Based Cancer Registry (PBCR) conducted and maintained by the Pathology Department of RIMS.

Principal Investigator and RIMS Medical Superintendent Dr Y Mohen said that their investigation focused more on different types of cancer infecting body parts between lung and throat.

Even as smoking in public places has been banned in other States of India, there is no such effective prohibition in Manipur. Dr Mohen said that there is no way of preventing lung cancer other than banning smoking.

Other forms of cancer like breast cancer can be prevented to some extent by creating awareness among the people, he added.

After the PBCR was taken for Imphal West district, having a total population of about 4,39,532 and covering an area of around 519 square kilometres in 2003, the programme was extended to the whole State in January 2005 .

The main objectives of PBCR are identifying the forms of cancer more common among the people of Manipur, tracing out their causes and then to devise preventive measures.

The programme is conducted by nine officials comprising of one principal investigator, two co-investigators, one medical research officer, one statistician and three social investigators.

The main data source for PBCR within the state are RIMS, Babina Diagnostic Centre, Shija Hospital, Imphal Hospital and Research Centre, Adarsh Clinical Laboratory, Mona Clinical Laboratory, JN Hospital, Eastern Diagnostic centre, Lamka Clinical Laboratory, Langol View Laboratory, Raj Polyclinic, Imphal Endoscopy Centre, Cecil Medical Laboratory, JNIMS, New-Tech Nursing Home, Padma Medical, Sapam Imaging Centre, Shanti Hospital and Research Centre, Suba Hospital, Catholic Medical Centre, Divine Clinic, Anand Ultrasound, Leishiphung Christian Hospital, Ukhrul and Chingai Diagnostic Centre.

In addition, data are collected from Dr B Baruah Cancer Institute Guwahati, Down Town Hospital, Guwahati Neurology Research Centre, Saharia Path Lab, Ecopath Centre, Arya Hospital, Sky Laboratory, Tata Memorial Hospital Mumbai, Ranbaxy SRL, Catholic Medical College Vellore, AIIMS New Delhi, Apollo Hospital, JNIMS Laboratory Mizoram, Civil Hospital, Care Laboratory Dimapur, Madona Lab Dibrugarh, Clinical Path Diagnostic Centre Shillong, Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute Kolkata, Thakur Puknur Cancer Centre, Waynafare Home and Research Institute, PGI Chandigarh, MGPGI Lucknow, Kohima Diagnostic Centre, NEGRIMS Shillong and NIMTANS Bangalore. According to the data collected from these centres, lung cancer is the most common form of cancer among the people of Manipur.

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