Cancer is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in developing countries. In many low-income and middle-income countries, including India, access to a well-organised and well-regulated cancer care system remains a problem with more number of tertiary cancer centres located in the cities inaccessible to the majority rural population. Patients have to travel several thousand kilometres to access cancer that poses significant costs of travel, loss of wages and relocation expenses. A diagnosis of cancer often leads to catastrophic personal health expenditures. Such expenditures can push entire families below the poverty line and may, especially when combined with an absence of what are seen as acceptable services, threaten social stability. Some of the major highlights of cancer scenario in India is described below:
• Incidence of all cancers cases in India is 1 million new cases with mortality ranging from 6 lakh-7 lakh
• Real incidence is estimated to rise by 7-8% annually driven by changes in demographics and increasing deterioration of key risk factors
• The prevalence of cancer in India is expected to increase from an estimated 3.9 million in 2015 to an estimated 7.1 million people by 2020.
• Increasing Ageing population >50yr from 228 million in 2015 to 262 million by 2020 leading to an increase in cancer incidence of 100,000 to 350,000 cases a year.
• Prevalence of all forms of tobacco use in India in 2015 is ~17% compared to 21% and 19% in the UK and US respectively.
• Alcohol per capita consumption in adults aged over 15 years has increased by ~55% between 1992 and 2012 .i.e. the third highest increase amongst 40 countries (OECD and partner countries).
• India has the third highest number of obese individuals in the world, after the US and China.
• According to a 2014 WHO report, 13 of the 20 most polluted cities in the world are in India.
• The reported cancer incidence in India is expected to increase from an estimated 1.1 million in 2015 to 2.1 million by 2020 driven by a narrowing diagnosis gap.
• Mortality rate in cancer remains as high as 50%