Maharashtra Survey Flags Cancer Symptoms in 14,000+ Women—Here's What We Know

In Maharashtra’s Hingoli district, signs of cancer have been found in more than 14,500 women, according to a statement made by State Health Minister Prakash Aabitkar in the Assembly on Thursday. He said that this information came to light during screenings conducted under the state government's Sanjivani Scheme.

Survey Covered Nearly 3 Lakh Women

In a written response to the Assembly, Minister Aabitkar said that the survey began on March 8, coinciding with International Women's Day. A total of 2,92,996 women were surveyed as part of this campaign. During the survey, women were asked a series of questions, and based on their answers, it was found that around 14,500 women showed symptoms similar to cancer.

He further stated, "Out of the 14,542 women identified, three were found to have uterine cancer, one was diagnosed with breast cancer, and eight women had oral cancer. This data emerged during a cancer awareness campaign conducted by the district collector."

The goal of this campaign was to detect cancer at its early stages so that treatment could be provided promptly.

No Dedicated Cancer Hospital Yet, But Screening to Expand

Despite the concerning numbers, the Health Minister clarified that there is currently no proposal to build a separate cancer hospital for women. However, he assured that screening infrastructure in rural areas will be strengthened, allowing for better detection and tracking of cancer symptoms among women.

Testing facilities are already being made available in district hospitals. For this, the state government has partnered with Tata Memorial Hospital. As part of this collaboration, a team from Tata Memorial will visit hospitals twice a month to conduct camps and screenings. Additionally, cancer warriors at the grassroots level will receive training from this team.

Chemotherapy Services Expanding Across the State

The minister also informed that day-care chemotherapy centers have been launched in eight district hospitals, and there are plans to establish similar centers in other districts across Maharashtra.