Kathmandu, Feb. 4 -- Of the 37 beds allocated for children at Chitwan-based BP Koirala Memorial Cancer Hospital, almost all remain occupied most of the time, suggesting a worrying rise in cancer among children.

Not just the elderly, but even young children and people in their late 20s and early 30s are increasingly developing cancer in the country, oncologists say.

"The number of young cancer patients has increased alarmingly in recent years," Dr Shivaji Poudel, executive director at the hospital, told the Post over the phone from Chitwan. "However, detailed studies into the cause behind the rise in cancer cases among younger children in the country have not been carried out."

Though the exact number of cancer patients in the country r...