The story so far
On 7 and 8 October, GMC Jammu and the Indian Council of Medical Research held a two-day workshop on cancer screening and breast cancer survival, which we covered on 9 October.
What's new
Greater Kashmir reported on 11 October that ICMR will launch two breast cancer projects in Jammu and Kashmir next month, with Rs 8 crore allocated to four government medical colleges. Each college gets Rs 2 crore for both projects combined; the split between the two projects has not been specified.
- Project one: screening and diagnosis.
- Project two: whether standardised treatment, coordinated care and timely follow-up improve survival.
- Hub-and-spoke model: GMC Jammu and GMC Kathua will work with AIIMS Jammu; GMC Anantnag and GMC Baramulla with SKIMS Soura.
An ICMR official said the projects "will be launched by November" and that institutions across J&K and Ladakh would take part.
Why it matters
ICMR's National Cancer Registry Programme projected 938 new breast cancer cases and 403 deaths in J&K in 2025. A review of clinical studies from the region found more than 70 per cent of breast cancer patients presented at advanced stages, and ICMR has cited five-year survival of 66 to 70 per cent for Stage II breast cancer in India against 90 to 99 per cent in developed countries. GMC Jammu's Principal Dr Ashutosh Gupta said early detection and timely intervention are vital to improving survival.
For young women and their families, the practical point is early checking. The projects are still to launch, and the reports do not say where screening camps will run or who is eligible; those details have not been announced.
Sources
Image: file photo of the Amar Mahal Museum, Jammu, Nvvchar, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0). It does not depict the workshop.
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