Dibrugarh: The number of cancer patients being treated in Assam has risen steadily in recent years, with the Dibrugarh Cancer Centre reporting 14,028 patients since it began services in April 2022.Releasing the data at a news conference on Saturday, the centre’s managing director, Dr Nabyajyoti Choudhury, said it treated 1,281 patients in 2022-23, 2,910 in 2023-24, 3,456 in 2024-25 and 3,730 in 2025-26. A total of 2,651 patients were treated up to Sept 25 this year, he said.Dr Choudhury said the figures reflected an increase in the number of patients seeking cancer treatment compared with previous years. He also flagged a growing cancer burden in neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland. While the situation in Nagaland has returned to normal levels, cancer cases in Arunachal Pradesh have been rising steadily, he said.“Cancer is emerging as a major healthcare challenge in the region. The rising number of patients highlights the need for early detection, timely treatment and strengthening of cancer-care infrastructure,” Dr Choudhury said.The centre, run by Assam Cancer Care Foundation, offers medical, radiation and surgical oncology services, as well as palliative care, anaesthesiology and critical care, transfusion medicine, radiology and imaging, laboratory medicine, nuclear medicine, emergency medicine, ICU, HDU, chemotherapy day care, haemato-oncology and paediatric oncology.It is preparing to introduce bone marrow transplantation services, expected to be available from Dec.Meanwhile, a two-day advanced training programme for blood bank technologists concluded at the centre on Saturday. Organised in collaboration with Assam Health Infrastructure Development and Management Society, the programme focused on improving technical skills and ensuring a safe blood supply across the state.Four workstations were set up in the blood bank laboratory for hands-on training. Sessions covered recent advances in transfusion medicine, voluntary blood donor motivation, blood bank serology, component preparation and blood bank regulations.Officials of State Blood Transfusion Council also conducted sessions on online documentation and e-RaktKosh portal.“The practical component of the training was designed to strengthen the ability of technologists to handle advanced procedures and maintain safety standards,” an official involved in the programme said.
