Cases of cancer rise by 3% every year
Malathy Iyer
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Mumbai:
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40% Of Patients Die Annually In The Country
Cases of cancer, considered the worst of all maladies, have been rising 2-3% across the country annually , show data and estimates from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).The figures, extrapolated from cancer registries across the country , show that if 10.28 lakh Indians were diagnosed with cancer in 2011, the number swelled by roughly 9% to 11.18 lakh in 2014. Correspondingly, the number of deaths increased, from 4.52 lakh in 2011 to 4.92 lakh in 2014. Every year, about four out of 10 cancer patients (or 40%) die. The rate can be as high as 70% for some types of cancer.
So, is India witnessing a surge in cancer cases? Given the above numbers and social facts such as rapid westernisation of diet and rising stress and pollution levels, it would seem so. But cancer specialists and epidemiologists beg to differ: there is no cancer epidemic sweeping across the country, they insist. They say the increase in numbers is in sync with the population increase.
Dr Rajendra Badwe, director of Tata Memorial Centre in Parel, said: “As the population increases and the proportion of people over 40 years increases, cancer cases in absolute numbers will increase.'' Medical statisticians like Dr Rajesh Dikshit in TMC use mathematical equations to work out age-standardised rates of cancer and point out that cancer rates in India have been more or less constant. “One has to understand that absolute numbers and rates are two different concepts,'' he said.
Dr Soumya Swaminathan, director of ICMR in Delhi, said her council works out estimates and projections based on previous incidence.“We don't think the numbers are worrisome,'' she said.
Badwe said cancer numbers are increasing across the world and India is no different.“I have been looking at the Mumbai cancer registry data and find that the incidence as well as mortality due to cancer has remained more or less constant.'' With prevalence of 3 million and annual incidence of 1 million, cancer is indeed a serious issue in India. “It kills around 5 lakh people annually owing to the advanced stage of the disease,“ said cancer surgeon Dr Pankaj Chaturvedi.
For the full report, log on to http:www.timesofindia.com
Breast cancer the deadliest of all types
Cervical cancer used to be the most common and biggest killer of Indian women among all cancers, claiming one life every seven minutes, according to data available in 2008. At that time, breast cancer -largely seen as an urban woman's bane -claimed one life every 10 minutes. Now, Globocan 2012, a software prepared by WHO's International Agency for Research on Cancer, has used data from the Census in 2011 to show that breast cancer has upstaged cervical cancer as the most common cancer among Indian women. In fact, Globocan 2012 shows that breast cancer affects 25 out of every 1,00,000 women in India; cervical cancer affects 22. Malathy Iyer
For the full report, log on to http:www.timesofindia.com
So, is India witnessing a surge in cancer cases? Given the above numbers and social facts such as rapid westernisation of diet and rising stress and pollution levels, it would seem so. But cancer specialists and epidemiologists beg to differ: there is no cancer epidemic sweeping across the country, they insist. They say the increase in numbers is in sync with the population increase.
Dr Rajendra Badwe, director of Tata Memorial Centre in Parel, said: “As the population increases and the proportion of people over 40 years increases, cancer cases in absolute numbers will increase.'' Medical statisticians like Dr Rajesh Dikshit in TMC use mathematical equations to work out age-standardised rates of cancer and point out that cancer rates in India have been more or less constant. “One has to understand that absolute numbers and rates are two different concepts,'' he said.
Dr Soumya Swaminathan, director of ICMR in Delhi, said her council works out estimates and projections based on previous incidence.“We don't think the numbers are worrisome,'' she said.
Badwe said cancer numbers are increasing across the world and India is no different.“I have been looking at the Mumbai cancer registry data and find that the incidence as well as mortality due to cancer has remained more or less constant.'' With prevalence of 3 million and annual incidence of 1 million, cancer is indeed a serious issue in India. “It kills around 5 lakh people annually owing to the advanced stage of the disease,“ said cancer surgeon Dr Pankaj Chaturvedi.
For the full report, log on to http:www.timesofindia.com
Breast cancer the deadliest of all types
Cervical cancer used to be the most common and biggest killer of Indian women among all cancers, claiming one life every seven minutes, according to data available in 2008. At that time, breast cancer -largely seen as an urban woman's bane -claimed one life every 10 minutes. Now, Globocan 2012, a software prepared by WHO's International Agency for Research on Cancer, has used data from the Census in 2011 to show that breast cancer has upstaged cervical cancer as the most common cancer among Indian women. In fact, Globocan 2012 shows that breast cancer affects 25 out of every 1,00,000 women in India; cervical cancer affects 22. Malathy Iyer
For the full report, log on to http:www.timesofindia.com
Source: Times of India, 4-02-2016
