Munshi Ram Jain Award To Cancer Researcher Dr Rajni Nagrani

GUWAHATI: Munshi Ram Jain Cancer Scholar Award 2019 by the Cancer Research Foundation, India (CRFI) has been announced today and it will be awarded to Dr Rajni Nagrani, who completed PhD from the Center for Cancer Epidemiology at Tata Memorial Center, Mumbai under Homi Bhaba National Institute. Dr Nagrani is presently working as a research scholar in Bremen, Germany. Munshi Ram Jain Cancer Scholar Award has been instituted by CRFI and awarded to individuals for their PhD work on any discipline of cancer. For 2019, a total of 36 nominations were received from all over India and few from abroad as well. According to the research finding of Dr Rajni Nagrani, there are protective factors for breast cancer among women living in rural areas. This is possible because of less prevalence of risk factors like late age at first full-term pregnancy and use of oral contraceptive pills. Central obesity, which is measured in terms of waist-to-hip ratio and waist circumference, was seen to be the single most important risk factor. Central obesity increased the risk of breast cancer irrespective of age, rural-urban living status, and hormone receptor status. The study involved 1637 breast cancer patients and 1515 healthy individuals attending Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai.

Dr Amal Chandra Kataki, Chairman of CRFI and Director, Dr B Borooah Cancer Institute, Guwahati has said “India is undergoing a socio-economic transition with associated changes in diet and lifestyle among its population, and thus, a special effort like public awareness should be made to control central obesity. Such effort is imperative not only for the prevention of breast cancer but also other non-communicable diseases like heart disease and diabetes”

Dr Mouchumee Bhattacharyya, Vice Chairperson and Head, Scientific Advisory Committee of CRFI has stated that Munshi Ram Jain Cancer Scholar Award focuses’ on research that can be translated to benefit the society. According to Dr Manigreeva Krishnatreya, General Secretary of CRFI, an incidence of breast cancer is increasing in India and recent estimates suggest that it is the most common malignancy among women of the country. The incidence of breast cancer in rural areas is reported to be less than that observed in the urban areas, further stated Dr Krishnatreya, a press release stated.

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