Cancer is one of the leading causes of deaths in India. What is alarming is that the incidence of the disease is growing. Since the disease usually affects older people, increase in life expectancy is estimated to double the yearly rate of new cancer cases in the country from 7 lakhs (0.6 million) to 14 lakhs (1.4 million), by the year 2026.

Shocking statistics

Some startling figures from the National Cancer Registry Programme 1981-2001:

Observations

Studies show that almost 70-90 percent of all cancers are environmental. The existing trend suggests that the increase in rate of cancer is directly in proportion to the extent of urbanisation in the country. This can be mainly attributed to changes in lifestyle and diet.

Population based studies have established the most commonly observed cancers in India  to be -- lung, larynx, oesophagus and stomach in men, and breast, cervix, oesophagus and ovaries in women. However, it has also been observed that the rate of occurrence of certain cancers has been changing with changes in lifestyle, diet, economic development and adoption of an urban, stress ridden lifestyle.

Prevention strategies

In almost 75-80 percent of people affected with cancer, the disease is diagnosed in the advanced stage when treatment is difficult. Thus prevention and early detection have a great potential in managing the growing incidence of cancer.

Lifestyle change: Behavior modification to eradicate risk factors is one of the most cost effective methods of reducing the incidence of cancer in the country. For instance, about 50 percent of all cancers among Indian men are associated with the use of tobacco. Thus controlling habits such as smoking and chewing tobacco can cause a significant reduction in their incidence.