Cancer related to use of tobacco highest in North East, says report

By 2020, the number of cancer cases in the country will be at 13.9 lakh and based on current trends, is likely to increase to 15.7 lakh by 2025, the report estimated.

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According to the report, cancer of lung, mouth, stomach and oesophagus were the most common cancers among men, while for women, cancer of breast and cervix uteri were the most common. (File)

The National Cancer Registry Programme report for 2020 says that cancers related to the use of tobacco is highest in the North East region, and says that tobacco-related cancers are estimated to contribute 3.7 lakh (27.1 per cent) of the total cancer burden this year.

The report, released by The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and National Centre for Disease Informatics and Research (NCDIR), Bengaluru on Tuesday, also estimated that by 2020, the number of cancer cases in the country will be at 13.9 lakh and based on current trends, is likely to increase to 15.7 lakh by 2025. The cancer incidence rate for males ranges from 269.4 per 1,00,000 population in Aizawl district (highest in India) to 39.5 per 1,00,000 population in Maharashtra’s Osmanabad and Beed districts (lowest in the country).

For women, the cancer incidence rate ranges from 219.8 per 1,00,000 population in Arunachal Pradesh’s Papumpare district to 49.4 per 1,00,000 population in Osmanabad and Beed.

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These estimates are based on information related to cancer collected from 28 Population Based Cancer Registries (PBCRs). Additionally, 58 Hospital Based Cancer Registries (HBCRs) provided cancer data.

Dr Pankaj Chaturvedi, deputy director of the Centre for Cancer Epidemiology at Tata Memorial Centre (TMC), Mumbai told The Indian Express that there is very high tobacco use in Aizawl, leading to such a high burden of cancer in men, while breast cancer and cervical cancer is also high.

Chaturvedi said that the TMC has a strong presence in Maharashtra, and the Nargis Dutt Memorial Cancer Centre has also been providing low cost interventions for treating cancer. “Multiple studies are also underway in Beed district to understand if there are genetic influences due to which there is a low burden of cancer here,” he said.

According to the report, cancer of lung, mouth, stomach and oesophagus were the most common cancers among men, while for women, cancer of breast and cervix uteri were the most common. A significant increase in the incidence rates of breast cancers in women, and lung and head and neck cancers in both men and women was observed in most of the registries. However, a declining trend was seen in most of the registries for cancer of the cervix.

Anuradha Mascarenhas

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a journalist with The Indian Express and is based in Pune. A senior editor, Anuradha writes on health, research developments in the field of science and environment and takes keen interest in covering women's issues. With a career spanning over 25 years, Anuradha has also led teams and often coordinated the edition. ... Read More

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