Srinagar, Oct 10: The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) will launch two breast cancer projects in Jammu and Kashmir next month, allocating Rs 8 crore to four Government Medical Colleges (GMCs), with each college receiving Rs 2 crore for both projects combined.
The allocation for each project has not been specified separately.
The first project will focus on screening and diagnosis, while the second will assess whether standardised treatment, coordinated care and timely follow-up can improve patient survival.
According to estimates from ICMR’s National Cancer Registry Programme, Jammu and Kashmir was projected to record 938 new breast cancer cases and 403 deaths from the disease in 2025.
Under the treatment project’s hub-and-spoke model, GMCs Anantnag and Baramulla will link with the Sher-I-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Soura, while GMCs Jammu and Kathua will work with AIIMS Jammu.
An ICMR official said institutions across Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh would participate in the initiatives.
“The two high-powered projects of ICMR will be launched by November. All J&K and Ladakh institutes will participate. The heads of ICMR and AIIMS will be here,” the official said.
The projects were discussed at the October 7-8 workshop held at GMC Jammu.
Attendees included Principal and Dean Dr Ashutosh Gupta, ICMR scientists Dr Nisha Jose and Dr Pramit Ghosh, and ICMR headquarters official Dr Pulkit Verma.
Other participants included cancer specialists Dr Supriya Malik of the National Cancer Institute, Jhajjar; Dr Bhawana Sirohi of BALCO Medical Centre, Raipur; and Dr Bisavjit Dubashi of JIPMER, Puducherry.
Dr Gupta said early detection and timely intervention were vital to improving breast cancer survival.
Late diagnosis remains a major concern in Kashmir.
A review of clinical studies from the region found that more than 70 percent of breast cancer patients presented at advanced stages.
ICMR has cited five-year survival rates of 66 to 70 percent for Stage II breast cancer in India, compared with 90 to 99 percent in developed countries.
GMC Anantnag began oncology services in 2019 and became fully operational in 2022.
According to institutional figures, it registered more than 3,500 cancer patients and recorded 730 new cases in 2025. GMC Baramulla also made its oncology services functional around the same time.
Principal GMC Anantnag Dr Junaid Salam Wani described the initiative as a “historic milestone” and said the college was committed to developing a dedicated Radiation Oncology Block and a regional cancer centre.
“We had sent the proposal in June this year. Survival rates for breast cancer vary across different parts of the world. We will assess whether there is an improvement in survival, and if the results are encouraging, we will scale up the project,” Dr Shahid Bashir Wani, head of oncology at GMC Anantnag, told Greater Kashmir.
GMC Baramulla Principal Dr Majid Jahangir said the project would strengthen diagnosis, treatment and follow-up through closer coordination with SKIMS Soura.
