New Cancer Vaccine

The announcement of Russia's new mRNA-based cancer vaccine, Enteromix, has stirred global hope. Claimed to show 100% efficacy and safety in early clinical trials, it comes as the world continues its long battle against one of humanity's deadliest diseases. The vaccine is designed to train the immune system to recognize and destroy cancer cells, sparing healthy tissue. If all goes well in the bigger trials, it could usher in a new era in oncology where malignancy is combated by the body's natural defences.

This breakthrough comes in the wake of the development of a drug in 2022 when twelve rectal cancer patients treated with dostarlimab were found to be completely tumor-free after six months of therapy. That trial, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, was hailed as“a miracle,” though experts stressed that far more evidence was needed before speaking of a comprehensive cure. Taken together, these two developments suggest that the science of cancer treatment may finally be turning a corner.

For Kashmir, such breakthroughs could not be more urgent. The region is in the throes of a cancer crisis that has quietly worsened over the last decade. In 2011, a little over 3,000 new cases were reported. By 2021, Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) alone recorded more than 5,000 fresh cases. The figures from recent years tell a grim story. SKIMS alone has documented over 44,000 cancer cases between 2013 and 2023, while Shri Maharaja Hari Singh (SMHS) Hospital has reported more than 6,000 cases between 2017 and 2023. The trend is not confined to Srinagar. This excludes data from hospitals in Anantnag and Jammu, which also shows a substantial surge.

Experts have blamed lifestyle choices, environmental factors, and poor dietary habits for this surge. Besides, food adulteration and contamination have also been linked to the rise, with chemicals and dyes finding their way into daily consumption. The recent rotten meat scandal has lent credence to this explanation. Yet despite the mounting numbers, there has been little by way of credible, publicly accessible research from the region's major health institutions on the precise causes. Such knowledge is crucial if people are to take meaningful precautions and if authorities are to design effective interventions.

Enteromix and drugs like dostarlimab may eventually transform the way cancer is treated worldwide. But until they are tested widely and made accessible, Kashmir cannot afford to wait. The rising number of cancer cases should alarm the government and persuade it to invest heavily in research, healthcare infrastructure, and above all, prevention. Hope must be matched by action.

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