A first of its kind study published in the Lancet has revealed that deadly cancer is targeting people at the productive age group of as low as 30 years. According to the study corresponding to 5,56,400 national cancer deaths in India in 2010, 71 per cent deaths occurred in people aged 30-69 years.
The Lancet says that in 2010, 3,95,400 (71 per cent) cancer deaths occurred in people aged 30-69 years (2,00,100 men and 1,95,300 women). “Cancer deaths accounted for 8·0 per cent of the 25 million total male deaths and 12.3 per cent of the 16 million total female deaths at age 30-69 years. In 2010, at all ages, the rates of cancer deaths were about 59 per 1,00,000 for men and about 52 per 1,00,000 for women”.
The three most common fatal cancers killing this age group were — oral (including lip and pharynx, 45,800 (22.9 per cent), stomach, 25,200 (12·6 per cent), and lung (including trachea and larynx) 22,900 (11.4 per cent) in men.
In women cervical cancer accounted for 33,400 (17.1 per cent), stomach 27,500 (14.1 per cent), and breast 19,900 (10.2 per cent) in women.
The study also revealed that cervical cancer was far less common in Muslim women than Hindu women in India, specially where the proportion of Muslim women was larger. “Circumcision among Muslim men, which reduces the sexual transmission of human papillomavirus is a likely explanation although other factors might also account for this difference,” said the study.
Tobacco-related cancers represented the highest number of deaths in male i.e. 84,000 (42 per cent) of male and 35,700 (18.3 per cent) of female cancer deaths and there were twice as many deaths from oral cancers as lung cancers.