World No-Tobacco Day: Study suggests cancer cases to rise significantly in India by 2025

The number of cancer cases in India in 2020 is estimated to be 13.9 lakh. By 2025, the number of cases will increase to 15.7 lakh, as per the ‘National Cancer Registry Programme Report, 2020’, released by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the Bengaluru-based National Centre for Disease Informatics and Research, PTI reported.

The number of cancer cases among women is higher as compared to men.

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Among men, the total number of cancer cases in 2020 is estimated at 679,42,1, which is expected to reach 763,575 in 2025.

The same among women is estimated to be 712,758 in 2020, and likely to reach 806,218 by 2025. Breast cancer (2,38,908) is expected to be the most common site of cancer in 2025, followed by cancer in lung (1,11,328) and mouth (90,060).

In general, tobacco-related cancer is estimated to contribute 3.7 lakh cases, which is 27.1% of the total cancer burden in 2020 and highest in the North-eastern region of the country. This is followed by gastrointestinal tract cancers and breast cancer. 

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“Among women, breast cancer is estimated to contribute 2 lakh (14.8%) and cervix cancer is estimated to contribute 0.75 lakh (5.4%), whereas for both men and women, cancers of the gastrointestinal tract is estimated to contribute 2.7 lakhs (19.7%) of the total cancer burden,” the ICMR said.

The incidence of cancer-related to use of any form of tobacco was the highest in the northeastern region of the country and in higher proportion in men. 

Cancer of lung, mouth, stomach and oesophagus were the most common cancers among men, the report highlighted. 

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Cancer incidence rate among males per 100,000 population ranges from 269.4 in Aizawl district (Mizoram), which is the highest in India, to 39.5 in Osmanabad and Beed districts (Maharashtra).

As for females, the cancer incidence rate per 1,00,000 population ranges from 219.8 in Papumpare district (Arunachal Pradesh) to 49.4 in Osmanabad and Beed district, according to the report.

Cancer of breast and cervix uteri were the most common cancers among women. Cancer of lung was diagnosed at a stage of spread to distant sites, while cancers of head and neck, stomach, breast and cervix were in higher proportions with loco-regional spread, it said.

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For cancers of breast, head and neck, multimodality treatment, which is a varied combination of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy was administered. Cervix cancer was treated mainly with radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

For cancers of the lung and the stomach, systemic therapy was the mode of treatment, the report stated.