Cancer Cases In India Rose To Over 14 Lakh In 2022, Deaths More Than 8 Lakh

Cancer cases and deaths from it have increased in India between 2020 and 2022, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya told the Rajya Sabha.

According to the National Cancer Registry Programme of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the estimated incidence of cancer cases in India by different states and Union territories in 2020 was 13,92,179 and it increased to 14,26,447 in 2021 and 14,61,427 in 2022.

India's growing cancer burden

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The estimated mortality due to cancer in India was 7,70,230 in 2020 and it increased to 7,89,202 in 2021 and 8,08,558 in 2022.

India's cancer burden is projected to grow to over 15 lakh cases by 2025.

Provide free cancer treatment

Recently, a parliamentary panel has asked the Centre to provide free cancer treatment to middle-class households through a government-funded health insurance scheme and to cap cancer diagnostics and treatment services in government and private hospitals.

The parliamentary standing committee on health has also called on the government to take steps to strengthen radiotherapy facilities in the country.

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In India, tobacco-related cancers accounted for 27% of the country's cancer burden in 2020, according to the Indian Council of Medical Research.

Increase tobacco tax

In its report "Cancer care plan and management: Prevention, diagnoses, research and affordability of cancer treatment", presented to Parliament this week, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health further urged the government to raise tobacco taxes and enact a national-level gutkha ban substantially.

It has also recommended that the government abolish all designated smoking areas in restaurants, airports and hotels to discourage tobacco use.

The panel also sought a ban on single-stick sales of cigarettes and stringent penalties on offenders.

Regulate medicine, treatment cost

The parliamentary panel has called on the government to not only regulate the costs of medicines but also regulate the cost of diagnostics, treatment and services charges rendered not only in government but also in private hospitals.

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The panel has noted that India has only 1.5 radiation oncologists per million population compared to 20 radiation oncologists per million in the US and only 3 linear accelerators per 10 million people in contrast to the world average of 18 per 10 million.

The panel has asked the health ministry to work on mechanisms to ensure that radiotherapy machines are imported or assembled in the country, noting that the high cost of radiotherapy in the private sector is mainly because machines are imported.

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