Here is a good news. There has been a significant decline in the incidences of cervical cancer in the country, government data has revealed. While the experts opine that factors like later age at marriage, fewer children could be responsible for decline in the incidence of cervical cancer. Ironically, these are the factors which have contributed to increase in breast cancer.
The report by the National Cancer Registry programme (NCRP) that covered data from the year 2006-2010 from Bengaluru, Bhopal, Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai, Thiruvanantha-puram, Dibrugarh, Kamrup urban district, Imphal West District, Ahmedabad rural district and the states of Mizoram and Sikkim suggested a decrease of one to three per cent in Annual Average Rate (AAR) in the cancer of cervix.
Ironically, the data finds statistically increase in breast cancer AARs over time in all cancer registries. As far as breast cancer is concerned, experts observed an increase of 1.7 per cent in Bhopal, 2.4 per cent in Chennai, 1.1 per cent in Delhi and 1.3 per cent in Mumbai.
Significantly, there has been 2.5-3 per cent increase in all cancer cases, with tobacco related cancer leading all cancer cases and responsible for 27 per cent incidences, followed by cancer of gastroenteritis (19%), blood (10%), cervical (9%), breast (9%), ovary/uterus (5%), prostate (3%), central nervous system (2%). According to the report, while the estimated number of new cases of cancer in India during 2013 is 10,86,783 and it is expected to go up to 11,48,692 in 2015.
“It is expected that the same trends will continue till 2015 except for tobacco related cancer which may go up from 27 per cent to 28 per cent,” said Dr V.M. Katoch, secretary, department health research, said. According to the report, the proportion of the cancers associated with the use of tobacco is highest in East Khasi hills district of Meghalaya being 69.3 per cent and 43 per cent for males and females respectively.
Among males, cancers of lung, mouth, oesophagus and stomach are leading. The prevalence of type of cancers vary in the country. While, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Bhopal have mouth cancer as the leading site for cancer, the cancer of oesophagus is the leading cause in states of Assam and Meghalaya. On the other hand, stomach cancer is more prevalent in Sikkim and Mizoram while cancer of the nasopharynx is increasing in Nagaland.