• Nayanan.CC
• Sukumaran. N

According to media reports, the specter of cancer is gripping Kuttanad, a water-logged rice bowl in central Kerala that is home to about 1.8 million people and where roughly 15,000 tonnes of chemical fertilizers, 500 tonnes of insecticides and 50 tonnes of fungicides are used annually at a cost of about Rs 6 crores. Local doctors, farmers and sundry organizations have demanded that a thorough scientific study be undertaken to assess the incidence of cancer in the area. And doctors confirm that 499 patients have received treatment at the radiotherapy department of the Alappuzha Medical College Hospital between January and May 2018, against 355 during the same period last year and 300 the year before, mostly from the Kuttanad belt. Health workers need to ensure that the residents of this area are more aware about the various cancer screening programs and the healthy lifestyle changes, which can prevent cancers. The economic burden of cancer in the area is also very high. The incidence of a particular cancer may be low in an area, but its impact on the economic burden might be high. There should be additional funds should be allocated in the budget for drug and disposables support for poor patients; promote setting up of super specialty hospitals in all states by reducing cost of land, electricity, water and taxes, furniture, equipment, drugs and disposables; and promote emergence of new health institutions and ensure high-quality care at affordable cost. Key words: Chemical fertilizers, cancer, water pollution, pesticide usage

"The rising incidence of cancer – a sociological study in Kuttanad, Kerala", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.8, Issue 4, page no.770-775, April-2021, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2104304.pdf

"The rising incidence of cancer – a sociological study in Kuttanad, Kerala", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.8, Issue 4, page no. pp770-775, April-2021, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2104304.pdf