World Cancer Day--India contributes to 8% total cancer deaths worldwide

Globally, higher incidence of cancer is observed in the head and neck region in men and cervix and breast for women.

Written By: Editorial Team | Published : February 3, 2016 1:13 PM IST

Cancer is a major public health concern in India, as 6% of all deaths in India are due to cancers which contribute to 8% of global cancer mortality. The dreaded disease often attacks without warning. Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. Environmental factors, lifestyle, genes are some of the cause for cancer.

Symptoms and treatment depend on the cancer type and how advanced it is. Most treatment plans may include surgery, radiation and/or chemotherapy. Some may involve hormone therapy, biologic therapy, or stem cell transplantation. (Read: Here is everything you need to know about latest advances in cancer treatment.)

Globally, higher incidence of cancer is observed in the head and neck region in men and cervix and breast for women. In order to understand the incidence of cancer in India, as the World Cancer Day is approaching (February 4^th, 2016), Metropolis conducted a comprehensive study on 47,995 Histology samplesfor a period of one year to understand the pattern of incidence of various organ cancers. (Read: Every house has these 6 things that can cause cancer!)

Also Read

Below is a brief overview of our findings across the nation

Cancer Type	Number of Cases	Cancer Type	Number of Cases
Breast	710	Lung	184
Lip, oral cavity	561	Ovary	132
Colorectum	331	Brain & Nervous System	119
Cervix Uteri	316	Liver	93
Prostate	254	Thyroid	84
Hematolymphoid	253	Larynx	76
Oesophagus	237	Kidney	69
Stomach	234	Testis	51
Nasopharynx, other pharynx	214	Gall bladder	47
Urinary Bladder	214	Pancreas	47
Corpus Uteri	190	Total	4416

Of 47,995 samples that were referred to Metropolis Healthcare Ltd in 2015, 4416 samples were found to be positive for cancer.

Findings:

9.2% positivity was noted in all surgical pathology specimens submitted for evaluation
Over 16.08% of samples were in the Breast Category and 12.70 % belonged to the Lip Oral Cavity category.
Cancers of colorectum and cervix uteri contributed to 7.5 , 7.1% respectively

Below is a brief overview of our findings in Mumbai City.

Of over 18,388 samples that were tested at Metropolis Healthcare Ltd, Mumbai for over a year, 1210 samples were found to be positive for cancer.

Cancer Type	Number of Cases	Cancer Type	Number of Cases
Breast	190	Liver	42
Lip, oral cavity	110	Oesophagus	41
Lung	90	Brain & Nervous System	35
Cervix Uteri	90	Pancreas	30
Hematolymphoid	85	Kidney	26
Prostate	81	Thyroid	25
Colorectum	80	Nasopharynx, other pharynx	23
Stomach	70	Testis	20
Ovary	51	Gall bladder	16
Urinary Bladder	48	Larynx	12
Corpus Uteri	45	Grand Total	1210

Findings:

6.58% positivity was noted in all surgical pathology specimens submitted for evaluation
Over 15.7% of samples were in the Breast Category
Over 9% of the samples were found positive for Lip and Oral Cavity. Cervix Uteri and Lung contributed to 7.4% each and Hemato Lymphoid contributed to over 7% of the cases

Signs and symptoms caused by cancer vary depending on the type of cancer. Some symptoms include a new lump, abnormal bleeding, a prolonged cough, and unexplained weight loss, changes in bowel or bladder habits.

Commenting on the study, Dr. Kirti Chadha,Divisional Head Oncology (Group) & Surgical Pathology (Mumbai), Accurate and early diagnosis of Cancer paves the way for an efficient and successfultreatment. It is also important to provide conclusive and personalized diagnosis to each patient. This makes it imperative to identify molecular targets to aid personalized therapy for which Metropolis Healthcare carried out cost effective NCCN/ASCO/CAP based reflex testing on every patient referred to us. This is a kind of revolution in cancer diagnosis as both the costs and reporting time is reduced by half. (Read: 5 interesting facts about biological therapy for cancer)

The earlier the cancer is diagnosed and treated, the better the chance of it being cured. Cancer diagnosis begins with a thorough physical examination and a complete medical check-up. Early detection through screening is useful for all types of cancer. Every individual needs to be fully aware of their health status and go for regular check-ups. (Read: 8 symptoms of cancer everybody should know about)

According to a study by Boston Consulting Group, around 60 80 % cancer cases in India are diagnosed late and 60% of patients do not have access to quality diagnostic and treatment. The doctor patient ratio is 1 in 2000 coupled with disproportionate skilful manpower and technology in India with cancer specialists, trained staff and specialized cancer centers available in very few cities across India. (Read: 9 healthy habits that can reduce your risk of cancer)

Some tips for cancer prevention

Physically active for at least 30 minutes every day
Avoid sugary drinks, and limit consumption of high-calorie foods, especially those low in fiber and rich in fat or added sugar
Eat more of a variety of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes (such as beans
Limit consumption of red meats (including beef, pork, and lamb) and avoid processed meats
If you drink alcohol, limit your daily intake to two drinks for men and one drink for women.
Limit consumption of salty foods and food processed with salt (sodium).
Mothers should exclusively breastfeed their babies for up to six months

After treatment, cancer survivors should follow the doctors recommendations for cancer prevention and regular monitoring and undergoing routine and preventive tests is must.

Press release

Image source: Getty images (Image for representational purpose only)

Add The Health Site as a Preferred Source