Skin Cancer strikes Kirdalli Hamlets due to ?Arsenic poisoning

Skin Cancer strikes Kirdalli Hamlets due to ?Arsenic poisoning
Diligent observation detects association with impure drinking water.

Deligent observation of three patients of Squamous Cell Carcinoma (Skin Cancer) occurring at the region of heel and all of them suffering from skin lesions evoked my inquisitiveness. It couldn’t be sporadic or coincidence.

Cancer patients are not normally seen arising in localities. Interestingly, here they all belonged to a tanda (Hamlets belonging to Lambani tribe of nomads). In almost 20 years of surgical exposure such an association especially with respect to a malignant disease was never seen. Hereditary occurrences might occur.

On this instance, which occurred recently, I realised that some interesting correlation exists. Skin Cancer was established by an edge biopsy but the exact predisposition and diffuse skin lesions were unidentified.

Immediately, I drew the patient to a dermatologist. Dr. Guruprasad diagnosed the skin lesion to be of chronic Arsenic poisoning. In fact, these lesions are premalignant leading to Squamous Cell Carcinoma or Basal Cell Carcinoma.

Apart from discussions to have an academic paper, my mind moved to think about the larger issue. Establishing the cause and remedy striked me. Unsure of the receptivity of press in general, I called Shri Jayateerth Patil, Chief Reporter, Vijay Karnataka, Gulbarga to broach this detection. I continued conveying that this is first time an association with drinking water and cancer involving a group of people exists and thus remediable. Further I added, let the coverage concentrate on remediable social health issue rather than personal coverage to draw the attention of administration.

Thereafter, he immediately arrived, covered it on the front page of all Karnataka Edition without my name anywhere. The rest is history.

Today, the district administration & district health officer are pursuing the matter. Water samples collected and sent for analysis. They are committed to taking care of the issue so that the whole tanda is free of contaminated water. Unfortunately, it seems to be taking political hue. That apart, a sense of elation and satisfaction is creeping in me that a large group of about 600 people will be benefited.

Visit to Tanda
We decided to visit the spot to have the feel of ground reality in spite of the scorching summer. Travelling along with journalist to the far end of the district in Shorapur tanda was a mixed experience, rich in information and poor on body. Almost 175 kms away, negotiating the long stretches of potholes was tough.

On arriving at the tanda, the people were elated with hope glowing on their face. They looked familiar, as they were my patients as stated later by them. 20% of the population having 60 hamlets were suffering from full-blown skin lesions. They might turn malignant anytime. Children seem to be spared with manifestation as of now.

Most of the adult working population had easy fatigability, suffered open wound on foot leading to amputation of leg as well in one instance. It took away their livelihood. The lady with amputation will remain handicapped for life. Actually, they were ailing yet ignorant of the underlying cause.

While returning, another peculiarity associated with this region striked us and that was the uranium belt. Gogi Village in neighbouring Shahapur taluka is known place of uranium reserve. Mining of uranium is taking place. Since, uranium isotope radiation is known cause of Cancer, we decided to see that place.

Just on the sides of Gogi – Kembhavi Road is situated the uranium exploration area. It was marked as restricted area. Armed with Press identity and my professional identity, we talked to the contractor whose job is just mine and hand over the raw material to Uranium authority of India. He elaborated that the mining activity is something like drilling a core of a size of 10 feet diameter by the core machine. While depths of 120 mts are bored to get the material, they have approached about 110 mts. It doesn’t involve any manual labour activity.

With this information, we returned. On the whole, it was a moving experience.

More on this will follow,

Sharad