Local food habits today came under the scanner of the Meghalaya assembly with both government and opposition expressing concern over the alarming incidence of cancer in the state.

Health minister Rowell Lyngdoh informed the house that 3,577 cases of cancer had been detected in the state since 2006 till July this year.

While in 2006, the number of detected cases was 759, it went up to 865 the next year and 888 in 2009. In the first seven months of this year, 617 cases were detected across the state.

Pointing out to the rising cases of cancer in Garo hills from where people are being flown daily to Vellore or Chennai, Opposition MLA P A Sangma said the government should conduct a research on the food habits and lifestyle of the people to identify the causes of the high prevalence.

"The people of the state consume areca nuts, dry and smoked meat as well as dry fish. A comprehensive research should be undertaken to ascertain if these foods are related to the disease," Sangma said.

Opposition leader Conrad Sangma was sceptical about the reported use of chemical ?formalin? ? commonly used to preserve corpses - to preserve dry fish.

Concerned over the type of food consumed by the locals, Chief Minister Mukul Sangma admitted that the high incidence of cancer cases was alarming and the problem had been compounded by late detection.

The Shillong-based Pasteur Institute will be upgraded to a research centre to undertake studies on the disease in the state, the chief minister added.