T’puram: More than 1,500 people in Thiruvananthapuram district have been referred for specialized diagnostic tests after a large-scale cancer screening programme detected symptoms suggestive of oral, breast and cervical cancers, according to the latest health department data.The screening, conducted between Jan 31 and July 22, covered 1,24,050 people across the district. Preliminary assessments identified 977 women with suspected breast cancer, 315 with suspected cervical cancer and 285 people with suspected oral cancer, taking the total number of referrals to 1,577.Health officials clarified that the referrals do not represent confirmed cancer cases. Those identified during the initial screening showed symptoms or abnormalities that require specialized investigations to confirm or rule out the disease.Within the city corporation limits, 8,735 people underwent screening. Of these, 75 were referred for suspected cervical cancer, 55 for suspected breast cancer and seven for suspected oral cancer.Women identified through the programme will undergo mammography and HPV testing at designated taluk hospitals, while those suspected of having oral cancer will be referred to specialized health facilities for further evaluation.The latest screening follows an earlier district-wide programme conducted between March 24, 2024, and Jan 30, 2026, during which more than 12.54 lakh people were screened. That exercise resulted in referrals of 18,672 women for suspected breast cancer, 6,467 for suspected cervical cancer and 5,416 people for suspected oral cancer.According to health officials, non-healing mouth ulcers, persistent oral lesions, breast lumps, unexplained weight loss and abnormal vaginal bleeding were among the key warning signs used to identify high-risk individuals. They also noted that nearly 75% of women identified as being at high risk for breast and cervical cancers had a family history of the disease.Dr Prasanth C V, senior consultant surgical oncologist at Regional Cancer Centre (RCC), Thiruvananthapuram, said lifestyle-related factors such as obesity, calorie-rich diets and physical inactivity were increasingly contributing to the cancer burden. He also warned that the frequent consumption of very hot beverages could cause repeated thermal injury to the mouth and throat, increasing the long-term risk of oral cancer.Dr Jayaraman M B, professor of radiation oncology at Govt Medical College, Thrissur, said unhealthy diets, obesity and sedentary lifestyles could elevate cancer risk, especially among those with a family history of the disease. Expressing concern over the increasing incidence of breast and cervical cancers among younger women, he urged regular self-breast examinations and timely screening to ensure early diagnosis and improve treatment outcomes.
