Rising cases of cancer in India, the burden on the health of society

    01-Oct-2022
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Dr Satyavan Saurabh
The increasing cases of cancer are deteriorating the health of our society as it has become one of the leading causes of death in India. Cancer is the second most common cause of death in India after heart disease. On average, more than 1,800 Indians are dying of cancer every day. With new cancer cases projected to increase by 25% by 2025, cancer is slowly becoming a major killer. Some measures are needed to look at the causes of cancer in India and to prevent the increasing incidence of cancer. India has seen a steady increase in cancer cases over several decades. A 2017 report showed that between 1990 and 2016, the cancer burden in India increased by 2.6 times and cancer deaths doubled over time. About two-thirds of these cancer cases are in their late stages. Lung cancer, oral cancer, and colon cancer are common in men while breast, cervical, ovary, and gall bladder cancers are common in women. A report by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science, Technology, and Environment said that Indian cancer patients have a 20% higher cancer mortality rate than countries with a "high-level" Human Development Index. The panel has also said that India's cancer care infrastructure is "extremely inadequate" and forces most patients to travel "thousands of kilometers" for treatment.
Cancer is a group of diseases characterized by abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to the body's organs. Possible signs and symptoms include lumps, unusual bleeding, prolonged cough, and unexplained weight gain. Although these symptoms indicate cancer, they can be due to other reasons as well. More than 100 types of cancer affect humans.
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