India, the ‘cancer capital of the world’, patients are increasing – 2024-05-10 09:19:44

The number of cancer patients is increasing rapidly in India. For this reason, a report by multinational healthcare group Apollo Hospitals has named the country as the ‘cancer capital of the world’.

It is said that by 2025, the number of cancer patients in India may increase to 15 lakh 70 thousand. In 2020, this number was around 14 lakh.

Read more>>

Women in India are more affected by breast, cervical and ovarian cancer. And men are affected by lung, mouth and prostate cancer.

According to Apollo Hospitals report, compared to other countries, Indians are getting some types of cancer at a younger age. For example, the average age of lung cancer in India is 59 years. It is 68 in China, 70 in the United States and 75 in the United Kingdom.

An average of 10 lakh people are diagnosed with cancer every year in India. Four percent of them are children. But only 41 percent of government hospitals have pediatric oncology departments, said Ruchira Misra, pediatric oncologist at MRR Shishu Hospital in Mumbai.

Read more>>

Former President of Public Health Foundation of India K. Srinath Reddy said the incidence and death of cancer is increasing. It is expected to increase further in the next two decades. Cancer patients in India are on the rise due to various factors including consumption of highly processed foods, exposure to UV rays due to air pollution and climate change, he said.

Experts say a major challenge in the fight against cancer is the low rate of health screening. They suggested to increase it.

Apart from cancer, the Apollo Hospitals report also highlights other diseases. According to the report, one in three people in India is pre-diabetic, two in three pre-hypertensive and one in 10 suffer from depression. Cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and mental health problems are now so prevalent that they have reached ‘severe levels’.

Source: Deutsche Welle
KAA/