Cancer Registry Division

The Cancer Registry has been collecting all essential data pertaining to cancer patients, in the resident population of the respective areas. The registry collects information, analyzes it, and produces a report which is presented to the Indian Council of Medical Research. This report presents information like number of cancer cases registered, cancer rate in men, women and children, number of deaths registered due to cancer, common cancer site in men, common cancer site is women etc.

SCIENTIFIC STUDIES COMPLETED

Population Based Survival in Tobacco and Food-related Cancers

To examine the mortality and survival on Population basis of Tobacco related cancers in Bombay, registered between 1982-1986, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, has given technical guidance and financial support. To know the survival status of these patients, these cases were matched with cancer deaths as noted in certificates obtained from the Bombay Municipal Corporation for the year 1987-1996. For unmatched cases, letters were sent to know about their survival status. In the case of non-responders, house visits were carried out to know the survival status of the patients. The original case sheets from the respective hospitals were scrutinized wherever home visits were not possible. Observed survival rates and relative survival rates and survival trends have been analyzed by site and sex. Research articles on survival for Head and Neck, Colorectal and Prostate were prepared and sent for Publication.

Population Based Cancer Survey with the following specific objective has been planned to carry out.
 

• To ascertain the completeness of coverage of all cancer cases by the registries in a given population, since 1992.

• To change if needed the registration and diagnostic details of cancer patients that were identified.

• To verify mortality and causes of deaths in patients who have died. The survey has been simultaneously conducted by the three earliest registries in the network of NCRP ie., at Bangalore, Bombay and Madras.

Our registry has selected the Mulund East area covering about one million population residing in 18,000 houses. Required information has been collected from each house on pre-designed proforma. Special trained staff was appointed for this project. Data collection was started in August 1996 and has been almost completed by the end of June 1997. 14,000 households have been cooperative to give the required information. Data collected has been analyzed and report has been submitted to Indian Council of Medical Research, New Delhi.
 

CURRENT RESEARCH PROJECTS

Estimation of population based survival rates for aerodigestive cancers and lymph or reticular neoplasm's in Bombay.
 

The technical guidance and financial assistance is being given by International Agency for Research on Cancer at Lyon, France. Cancers involving the oesophagus, stomach, pancreas, lung and lymphomas and leukaemias registered during 1987 to 1991, are being followed upto 1997, to get to their present follow-up status. To know the follow-up status of the patients matching with the death certificates, telephone contacts, reply-paid postal enquiries home visits and repeated scrutiny of the case records, have been completed. Estimation of 5 year observed and relative survival rates of these cancers will also be studied.

Vasectomy and Cancer of the prostate :A multricentric case control study under the National Cancer Registry Programme of the Indian Council of Medical research.
 

The aim of the study is to determine whether a history of vasectomy per se enhances the risk of development of cancer of the prostate. Vasectomy is a common method of family planning in India. Its health consequences in general and any risk of development of prostate cancer in particular, therefore needs to be studied. In order to have an adequate sample size and to fulfill other criteria for an epidemiological study that will meet standard scientific requirements, population based cancer registries at Delhi, Bangalore and Bombay have been chosen for the prospective case control study. The project has been started from 1st January 1998 for a period of 3 years. Technical guidance and financial support will be given by the Indian Council of Medical Research, New Delhi.
 

FUTURE RESEARCH STUDIES

• Prediction of cancer incidence in Greater Bombay by sex, site and age for the future period up to 2002

• Prediction of cancer incidence cases in India by age, sex , site and residence (Urban/Rural) in the year 2001.

• Estimation of various health indicators and resources needed for a cancer control programme in India.

• Estimation of population based survival rates for major cancers registered in 1992 in Greater Bombay.

• Transformation of cancer incidence data of Bombay Cancer Registry on electronic system for the years 1975-1990.