KATHMANDU, March 22: In Nepal, illiterate people are more likely to get cancer due to consumption of tobacco products than literate people.

In a study published by Anson Nepal, 46 percent of illiterate people developed cancer due to consumption of tobacco products. In 2019, Anson Nepal conducted research on the financial burden of the clients who come to get diagnosis and treatment services for cancer caused by the consumption of tobacco products. In that research, it was found that only 1.9% of people with higher education get cancer due to consumption of tobacco products.

The study found that 16 percent of patients sell real estate for treatment. It has been shown in the study that 27 and 2 percent of the patients bear the treatment expenses from household savings and 60 percent of the patients take loans from their relatives to bear the expenses. According to the research, the average age of cancer patients caused by consumption of tobacco products is 53.5 years. Anson Nepal conducted a study with 103 patients undergoing treatment in Kathmandu.

The study showed that 42.7 percent agriculture, 22.3 percent trade, 11.7 percent daily wages, 8.7 percent government services and 8.7 percent foreign employment are the main sources of income for the treatment of cancer.