New Delhi: The results of ‘The Lancet Regional Health Southeast Asia’ journal data revealed that every three in five people diagnosid with cancer succumb the the disease, with women making the larger part of the number compared to men. The incidence to mortality ratio in the US was found to be about one in four, while in China it was one in two,
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) study found that India ranked third highest in cancer incidence, after China and the US, and further had 10 per cent of world’s cancer-related deaths, ranking second after China.
Researchers have projected that India will face a massive challenge in managing cancer-related deaths in the next two decades. It is predicted to increase yearly by two per cent per cent as the population ages.
The research team studied trends in 36 types of caner across age groups and genders in India over the last 20 years, using the Global Cancer Observatory (GLOBOCAN) 2022 and Global Health Observatory (GHO) databases.
“Approximately three out of five individuals would be expected to succumb to mortality if diagnosed with cancer in India,” the authors wrote.
The research said the most common cancers affecting both males and females collectively account for 44 per cent of cancer burden in India.
This, however, did not help the fact that women in India bear a “disproportionate burden”, as breast cancer continues to be the most prevalent cancer, contributing to 13.8 per cent of new cases from both genders, and cervical cancer the third most (9.2 per cent).
Around 30 per cent new cases were breast cancer and 24 per cent of related deaths, followed by cervical cancer, accounting for over 19 per cent of new cases and almost 20 per cent of deaths, among women.
For men, oral cancer was most commonly diagnoised, contributing to 16 per cent new cases, followed by respiratory (8.6 per cent) and oesophagus (6.7 per cent) cancer.
The researchers also detected a shift in cancer prevalence across age groups, with the geriatric age group (aged 70 years and above) exhibiting the highest cancer burden.
Those in the reproductive age group (15-49 years) showed the second highest incidence and contributed a fifth of cancer-related deaths.
The middle- and old-aged individuals have an 8-10 per cent higher chance of developing cancer with a 5.5-7.7 per cent chance of succumbing to it.
The study revealed the the urgency for the need of targeted interventions and strategies to tackle the escalating cancer burden in India, with about 70 per cent of cases and deaths occurring in the middle- and older-age groups.
The study is the “first comprehensive evaluation of the current and future landscape of cancer in India, focusing on different age groups and gender disparities.”
The GLOBOCAN database provides estimates of cases, deaths and prevalence for 36 cancer types, including non-melanoma skin cancer, for 185 countries and territories worldwide.
(With PTI Inputs)
