Cancer Issues in India

Reference:

Recently, a study on cancer status in India was presented by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

About the ICMR study on cancer status in India:

• This study by ICMR is based on data provided by the Global Cancer Observatory (GLOBOCAN) 2022 estimates.
• GLOBOCAN is an online database that provides global cancer statistics and estimates of incidence and mortality for 36 types of cancer and all cancer sites in 185 countries.
• The study examined 36 types of cancer in India by gender and in four different age groups (childhood, reproductive age, middle age and old age).
• Cancer is a disease in which certain cells in the body grow uncontrollably and spread to other parts of the body.

Key findings of the analysis:

• India ranks third in cancer incidence after the US and China and second in mortality after China.
  • In the South-East Asia region, India ranks third in cancer incidence and second in mortality.
• Women in India are more affected by breast cancer, while lung cancer causes the highest number of deaths among both men and women.
• About three out of every five people in India die after being diagnosed with cancer.
• In India, persons in the child-bearing and reproductive age groups have the lowest risk of developing and dying from cancer, while persons in the middle-aged and older age groups have the highest risk of developing and dying from cancer.
  • A significant portion (70%) of cancer incidence and mortality is concentrated in the middle-aged and older age groups.
  • Cancer-related mortality has increased faster among women than men in the last decade.
• Between 2012 and 2022, cancer incidence is projected to increase by 36%, from 1.01 million in 2012 to 1.38 million in 2022.
• Cancer-related deaths are also projected to increase by 30.3%, from 0.68 million in 2012 to 0.89 million in 2022.
• Cancer mortality will increase from 64.7% to 109.6% between 2022 and 2050.

Suggestions:

These findings emphasize the importance of developing and implementing a flexible framework for targeted interventions aimed at managing gender-specific and prevalent common cancers through comprehensive strategies.