Says Key Factors Contributing To ‘Alarming Trend’ Includes Tobacco Use, Obesity, Alcohol

New Delhi: India reported more than 14 lakh new cancer cases and over 9 lakh deaths due to the disease in 2022, said the World Health Organization (WHO).
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), WHO’s cancer arm, unveiled a report highlighting the prevalence and patterns of cancer in the country.
Among Indian women, breast and cervix cancers emerged as the most common, constituting nearly 27% and 18% of new cases, respectively.
For men, lip and oral cavity cancers and lung cancers took the lead, making up 15.6% and 8.5% of new cases, according to the IARC report. The report also shed light on the survival rates, revealing that nearly 32.6 lakh people in India were alive within five years of a cancer diagnosis.
WHO made a dire prediction, anticipating a 77% surge in new cancer cases to over 35 million by 2050, with deaths nearly doubling from 2012 to exceed 18 million. Key factors contributing to this alarming trend included tobacco use, alcohol consumption, obesity, population aging, and growth.
In India, the risk of developing cancer before the age of 75 was calculated at 10.6%, while the risk of succumbing to cancer by the same age stood at 7.2%. On a global scale, these risks were significantly higher at 20% and 9.6%, respectively.
Lung cancer emerged as the most common cancer, accounting for 12.4% of new cases and nearly 19% of total cancer deaths. Breast cancer followed closely as the second most common, contributing to 11.6% of total new cases and 7% of global cancer deaths.
Cervical cancer, although the eighth most commonly occurring globally, ranked ninth in causing cancer-related deaths.
Despite its prevalence, the IARC expressed optimism about the potential elimination of cervical cancer as a public health problem through the WHO Cervical Cancer Elimination Initiative. This initiative, urging countries to maintain an incidence rate below 4 per 1 lakh women, emphasised key strategies such as HPV vaccination, regular screenings, and efficient treatment protocols.
In its interim budget, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the government’s push for cervical cancer vaccination for girls in the age group of 9 to 14 years.

KR Desk