SRINAGAR:With World Health Organization (WHO) declaring that artificial sweetener aspartame widely used in diet drinks could cause cancer, Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) on Friday said it is a matter of serious concern.

“Diet drinks have become a routine part of people’s lives and the cancer link to these drinks is alarming,” said DAK President Dr Nisar ul Hasan.

Dr Hassan said the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) which is the arm of WHO has linked sweetener aspartame to increased risk of liver cancer.

The conclusion is based on three large human studies conducted in the US and Europe that examined artificially sweetened beverages.

“The risk is particularly high in those who are taking an excess of these soft drinks,” he said.

The DAK President said concerns about rising rates of obesity and diabetes have resulted in an explosion of no or low-sugar foods and beverages Aspartame, a low-caloric artificial sweetener is used in Diet Coke, Pepsi zero sugar and other diet sodas as a substitute for sugar with the aim that the sweetener can help consumers manage body weight and reduce the risk of non-communicable diseases.

“However, research has found that replacing free sugar with non-sugar sweetener like aspartame does not help with weight control in the long term,” he said adding “artificial sweeteners have also been linked with higher risk of developing diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease, as well as of dying.”
“People should avoid diet drinks as aspartame has no health benefits and is a possible carcinogen. They should reduce the sweetness of the diet altogether,” said Dr Nisar.

“Food industry should consider changing ingredients to make products without the use of artificial sweeteners,” he said. (UNI)

SRINAGAR: On world environment day, Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) on Monday said environmental pollution is behind spike in cancer which has reached to epidemic proportions in Kashmir.

“Air pollution is causing rise in cancer cases in the valley,” said DAK President Dr Nisar ul Hassan in a statement issued to GNS. 

Dr Hassan said the air quality in Kashmir has been constantly deteriorating for the past few years due to the increasing number of vehicles, construction, brick kiln, cement and other factories which emit pollutants and significantly pollute our air.

“And this is contributing to enormous burden of cancer in the valley,” he said.

“Research has shown that polluted air is associated with increased risk of lung cancer which is the most prominent cancer among men in Kashmir.”

The DAK President said another environmental pollutant in Kashmir is plastic.

“Despite ban, polythene and plastic products continue their use in Kashmir,” he said.

Plastic is non-biodegradable. It just sits and pollutes the environment.

“Plastic releases a chemical, bisphenol A (BPA) that has been linked to breast cancer which is the most common cancer among females in the valley,” he said.      

“There is an urgent need to control environmental pollution to reduce the burden of cancer in the population,” said Dr Nisar.

“Government is duty bound to limit and ideally eradicate atmospheric emissions and enforce complete ban on single use plastic,” he said adding “people must realize that they too have the responsibility to keep the environment clean for sustenance of human life on this planet.” (GNS)

SRINAGAR: Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) on Monday sought PET scan facility at Government Medical College (GMC) Srinagar.

“That would help in early detection of cancer and save lives,” said DAK President Dr. Nisar ul Hassan.

“When a cancer is detected at an early stage, the chances of survival are dramatically higher than when detected at a later stage when the tumor has spread and the disease is advanced,” he said.

Dr. Hassan said positron emission tomography (PET) scan has since decades played an instrumental role in the fight against cancer through an early and better diagnosis of the disease.

“PET scan can check whether cancer has spread,” he said adding “It can assess the effectiveness of cancer treatment and find out whether cancer has come back after treatment.”

The DAK President said we have one PET scan at SKIMS hospital, but it is not able to cope with a huge burden of cancer cases in the valley.

“Patients have to wait for months for PET scans which adversely affects patient outcome,” he said.

 Dr. Nisar said GMC Srinagar and its associated hospitals cater to a large number of cancer patients and in absence of PET scans it is hard for doctors to diagnose, treat and manage cancer cases.

 “Cancer has reached epidemic proportions in Jammu and Kashmir.

As per the union health ministry figures, JK has reported an estimated 51,577 cancer cases in the last four years.

More than 22,000 people have died due to cancer during the period of 2018 to 2021,” he said. (CNS)