Growing cancer in Kashmir calls for more PET scan facilities

Srinagar, Dec 9: With just one government-run PET scan facility, located at SKIMS Soura, Kashmir’s cancer patients are tossed out of J&K for diagnosis or made to wait for months here.

Despite years of discussions and proposals to establish another PET scan facility at SMHS Hospital in Srinagar, the project remains in limbo due to infrastructural constraints, particularly the absence of a Nuclear Medicine Department and a cyclotron.

Currently, patients in Kashmir face months-long waiting periods to access PET (Positron Emission Tomography) scans at SKIMS, or they are forced to seek these services at private facilities at exorbitant costs.

The financial burden is particularly heavy for cancer patients, who already grapple with the high expenses of treatment, medication, and travel.

An oncologist having worked at SMHS Hospital said that a patient with stage-2 cancer sometimes progresses to stage-3 or stage-4 by the time they get a PET scan done, and are planned for treatment.

He said that a PET scan is now indispensable for diagnosing, staging, and monitoring cancer, as it provides detailed insights into disease progression and response to treatment.

In 2014, SMHS Hospital submitted a proposal for a PET scan facility worth Rs 19 crore to the government.

However, as a senior faculty member at the hospital said, it only led to exposure to various lacunae. “First, there isn’t a Nuclear Medicine Department at GMC Srinagar, and over the years, no steps have been taken to create it, even though thousands and thousands of cancer patients seek treatment here,” the faculty said.

He said that while in the past few years, the government sought another proposal for a PET scan, the administration of the medical college gave a “cold response” on the pretext that “there is no space at SMHS Hospital or Super Specialty Hospital”.

“Proposals for PET scan have been in circulation for years, with no tangible results,” he said.

Without a Nuclear Medicine Department and without getting a site approval for installation from the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board, the faculty member said, the talks of PET scan were just in the air.

The lack of a cyclotron further complicates the issue.

Cyclotrons are essential for producing radiopharmaceuticals (isotopes) used in PET scans and for many other diagnostic and therapeutic procedures required for cancer treatment.

Cyclotron technology is a significant investment, with high procurement and operational costs.

Medical experts are of the opinion that a single cyclotron would only be cost-effective if multiple PET scan facilities were operational in the region, sharing the isotopes it produces.

An official at SKIMS highlighted that Kashmir’s geographical isolation makes reliance on cyclotron facilities in other parts of the country fraught with uncertainty.

“Radioisotopes (used in PET scan) have a very short life and if these do not reach the facility on time, we are just wasting it,” he said. “In winters, due to weather vagaries, the isotopes often do not reach on time, adding to the queue of patients waiting for PET scan.”

Kashmir’s cancer burden has been steadily rising over the years, with experts attributing the surge to environmental, dietary, and lifestyle factors.

According to oncologists, PET scans have become integral to modern cancer care, enabling physicians to tailor treatment plans based on precise imaging data.

“PET scans are crucial for the initial diagnosis, treatment evaluation, prognosis, and monitoring of cancer relapse,” said an oncologist working in Kashmir.

However, the limited availability of these scans in Kashmir adds layers of stress to patients already battling a life-threatening disease.

In contrast to Kashmir, the Jammu region has multiple PET scan facilities, including those at GMC Jammu, the State Cancer Institute, and private hospitals, while travelling to neighbouring states is also easier and cheaper.

The oncologist said Cancer Treatment Planning and Policy in Kashmir needs a major overhaul.

“Investing in diagnostic infrastructure is not just about buying machines; it’s about building a system that ensures timely, affordable, and quality care for patients,” he said.

Principal GMC Srinagar, Prof Iffat Hassan Shah and Secretary Health and Medical Education Syed Abid Rasheed Shah did not respond to calls and texts from Greater Kashmir that sought clarity on the proposals.