30 lakh in India suffer from cancer, 11 lakh new cases: experts

Chandigarh, February 1, 2024: “30 lakh people in India suffer from cancer, of which 11 lakh are new cases. Cancer claims 5 lakh lives every year in India. Breast & cervical cancer are the most common cancers in females, whereas lung & liver are most common cancers in males in India.”

Addressing a press conference here Thursday, Dr. Jatin Sarin director medical oncology at Ivy Hospital Mohali said that few decades back, breast cancer was seen only after fifty years of age and the number of young women suffering from this disease were lesser with almost 65-70 % patients were above 50 years and only 30 to 35% women were below fifty years of age.

However presently, breast cancer is more common in the younger age group and 50% of all cases are in the 25 to 50 years age group. More than 70% of the cases present in advanced stage accounting for poor survival and high mortality, Dt Jatin maintained.

Dr Vijay Bansal, senior surgical oncologist shared that India continues to report the highest prevalence of oral cancers globally with 75,000 to 80,000 new cases of such cancers reported every year.

Chewing tobacco and gutkha contribute to 90 percent of oral cancer cases in the country.  These days most of the cancer surgeries can be done laparoscopically that leads to faster recovery of patients, he informed.

Dr Priyanshu Chaudhary medical oncologist stated: “One third of the cancers prevented by lifestyle modification. Breast self-examination and mammography is a noble technique to deduct breast cancer cases at an early stage and simple investigations like chest X-ray & PSA can help in picking up lung cancer & prostate cancer in early stages.

Dr Minakshi Mittal senior consultant & HOD radiation oncology said that the number of new cases of cancer is expected to rise by about 70 percent over the next two decades.

Dr. Meenaksi Sharma consultant radiation oncology said that radiation therapy involves delivering high energy x-rays to the body to kill the cancer cells and disrupting their ability to grow and divide without having untoward side effects on nearby normal organs.

Dr. Hemkant Verma consultant surgical oncology said that Ivy Hospital Mohali was 1st hospital in tricity to start comprehensive cancer care under one roof.

Signs and symptoms of breast cancer:
 Lump in breast
 Nipple discharge
 Thickening of skin of breast
 Redness and swelling in any part of breast
 Inverted nipple of breast
 Lump in armpit

Signs & symptoms of Cervix Cancer:
 Vaginal bleeding
 Foul smelling discharge from vagina
 Post cortical bleeding.

Common Risk Factors of Cancer :
  Family History: Women whose mother or sister had breast cancer carry a higher risk of developing this disease.
  Breast lumps- Women who have had some type of non-cancerous breast lumps are more likely to develop cancer later on..
  Age: As women get older, they are at higher risk of breast cancer.
  Diet and lifestyle choices: Women who smoke, eat a high fat diet, and drink alcohol are more at risk of developing breast cancer.
  Radiation Exposure: Frequent exposure to X-Rays and CT scans may raise a woman's chance of developing breast cancer. 
  Obesity: Overweight women are at a higher risk of developing breast cancer.
  Oestrogen exposure – Women who started having periods earlier or entered menopause later than usual are at a higher risk of developing breast cancer. This is because their bodies have been exposed to oestrogen for longer duration.