Rising Cancer-Related Mortalities Among Women in India

Sub : Sci

Sec: Health

Why in News

A recent analysis by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) based on data from the Global Cancer Observatory (GLOBOCAN) 2022 estimates has revealed that cancer-related deaths have increased at a faster rate among women than men in India over the past decade. The findings indicate a concerning rise in cancer burden, particularly among the middle-aged and elderly population.

Details:

Approximately three out of every five individuals in India succumb to cancer after diagnosis.
Cancer-related deaths among women have shown an annual percentage increase ranging from 1.2% to 4.4%, whereas for men, it ranges from 1.2% to 2.4%.
This trend suggests that cancer-related mortality among women is increasing at a more rapid pace.
Lowest Risk: Children and individuals in the reproductive age group (risk range: 0.08% – 1.3%).
Highest Risk: Middle-aged and geriatric individuals face a significantly higher risk of developing and succumbing to cancer.
As India’s population structure shifts towards an aging demographic, the nation is projected to experience its highest-ever cancer burden in the near future.
The top five most common cancers in India contribute to 44% of the total cancer burden.
Crude incidence and mortality rates are higher in females compared to males.

GLOBOCAN:

GLOBOCAN is an interactive web-based platform developed by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). It provides global cancer statistics to inform cancer control and research efforts.
The platform offers comprehensive data on cancer incidence and mortality across 185 countries, covering 36 types of cancer.
According to the GLOBOCAN data, the five most prevalent cancers in India are:
- Breast Cancer: 192,020 new cases, accounting for 13.6% of all cancer cases.
- Lip and Oral Cavity Cancer: 143,759 new cases, representing 10.2% of total cases.
- Cervix Uteri (Cervical) Cancer: 127,526 new cases, comprising 9% of all cases.
- Lung Cancer: 82,551 new cases, making up 5.8% of total cases.
- Oesophagus Cancer: 57,394 new cases, accounting for 4.1% of all cancer cases.

Crude Rate Calculation:

The crude rate is a measure used in epidemiology to indicate the occurrence of new cancer cases or deaths in a specific population during a given time period.
- Crude Rate = (Number of new cancer cases or deaths during a specific period / Total population at risk during the same period) × 100,000.