ICMR project to accelerate cancer screening at district level

Subject: Science and Tech

Section: Health

Context:

Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has invited Expressions of Interest on the implementation of research to accelerate cancer screening, early diagnosis, and treatment.

ICMR project:

ICMR plans to engage non-specialist physicians and other health care workers within a supportive healthcare system for the screening of cancer as well as pre-cancerous conditions.
This will be a four year project, including six months for preparatory activities and another six months for analysis and interpretation. It will also include formative, implementation, and evaluation phases.
The involvement of local communities is key to encourage the target population to undergo screening for early diagnosis and treatment.

Key role for ASHA workers:

Research has indicated that frontline health workers, such as Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs), have the potential to play a crucial role in promoting and conducting home-based cancer screening.
Home screening has resulted in higher compliance rates because it offers the privacy and convenience necessary for individuals to participate actively in the screening process.

Cancer status in India:

India currently ranks third in cancer incidence after China and the United States.
According to Global Cancer Observatory projections,India is expected to witness a substantial 57.5% increase in cancer cases between 2020 and 2040.
The estimated number of incident cases of cancer in India for the year 2022 was found to be 14,61,427(crude rate:100.4 per 100,000).
In India,one in nine people are likely to develop cancer in his/her lifetime. Lung and breast cancers were the leading sites of cancer in males and females, respectively. Among childhood (0-14 yr) cancers,lymphoid leukaemia (boys: 29.2% and girls: 24.2%) was the leading site.
The incidence of cancer cases is estimated to increase by 12.8 per cent in 2025 as compared to 2020.