A senior cancer surgeon has said northeast India has the highest number of cases of the dreaded disease, and the reasons for it are not random. According to Raipur-based Dr Jayesh Sharma, with over 25 years of experience specializing in breast, oral, and head-neck cancer surgeries, a combination of lifestyle habits and environmental exposures is the major contributing factor.

According to Dr Sharma, the northeast states report some of the highest cancer incidence rates – especially for oral, head and neck, esophageal, and stomach cancers. This pattern points to lifestyle factors, environmental exposure, and limited early screening of the people, which play a significant role in the region’s elevated cancer rates. A few specific reasons include:

One of the biggest contributors to the high cancer rates in the northeastern states is the widespread tobacco use. “Smoking is very common in the northeastern states. Even in the books, we have read that reverse smoking is practiced there, the burnt end of the cigarette is kept in the mouth so that all the smoke remains inside only,” Dr Sharma said on Instagram. According to theNational Institutes of Health, the region records among the highest rates of both smoked and smokeless tobacco consumption, which includes:

According to Dr Sharma, alcohol consumption - especially the locally brewed varieties which are unregulated - is a major contributor as well. It leads to more than 14 per cent of oral cancers in high-prevalence states like Meghalaya and Assam. Alcohol also significantly increases risks for gastrointestinal and oral cancers.

“The consumption of smoked meats is a major reason for high cancer cases there,” said Dr Sharma. Charred meats – which are high in carcinogens can lead to stomach and esophageal cancers. Data says fermented pork fat, also locally known assa-um, and high salt intake are associated with high rates of stomach cancer in Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh.

Experts believe smoked and charred meats lead to carcinogens like nitrosamines and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the diet. These chemicals, produced during smoking and curing, damage your DNA, while high-salt, fermented foods exacerbate risk through chronic inflammation andHelicobacter pylori.

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According to public health data, the most common cancers in the region include:

Stomach, or gastric cancer is a major health crisis in Northeast India, with incidence rates

Doctors have time and again emphasized that reducing India’s cancer burden requires region-specific interventions, a few of which include:

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