Jammu and Kashmir recorded more than 32,000 cancer cases between 2022 and 2025, with approximately 79 per cent of the total occurring in the Kashmir Valley, Health Minister Sakeena Itoo informed the Legislative Assembly on Friday.
Replying to a question from PDP MLA Waheed-ur-Rehman Para, the minister said 25,621 cases were registered in the Kashmir division from 2022 to 2024, while 6,804 cases were reported in the Jammu division from 2023 to 2025. She said, “The most common types of cancers found in the region are lung, breast, oral, cervical and gastrointestinal malignancies, including cancers of the oesophagus, stomach and colorectal region, which are also frequently reported.”
According to data compiled by the Health and Medical Education Department, the Kashmir division saw 8,021 cases in 2022, 8,621 in 2023, and 8,979 in 2024 — reflecting a steady and alarming rise. The Jammu division recorded 2,036 cases in 2023, 2,187 in 2024, and 2,581 in 2025, also showing an upward trend.
Highlighting steps taken for prevention, early detection and treatment, Itoo said institutions such as the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Soura, and the State Cancer Institute at Government Medical College, Jammu, provide comprehensive multidisciplinary care, including medical oncology, surgical oncology, radiation oncology and clinical haematology.
These facilities are equipped with advanced diagnostic and therapeutic tools such as PET-CT scanners, CT scanners, dedicated CT simulators, modern radiotherapy systems and specialised oncology services. Patients with terminal illnesses are managed at SKIMS, Government Medical Colleges and their associated hospitals, as well as district hospitals and Community Health Centres (CHCs).
The minister did not address concerns that many poor patients requiring high-cost treatment and regular scans still depend on expensive private facilities.
While J&K remains among the top-performing states and Union Territories in cancer care infrastructure, significant gaps persist in treatment accessibility and the management of terminal diseases.
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