Cancer cases among Bengaluru women one of the highest in India

New Delhi: Cancer among women in Bengaluru is one of the highest in the country and the Karnataka capital is also among the top three sites of breast cancer incidences, says India’s most exhaustive analysis on cancer incidences and mortalities.

Bengaluru women also figure among the top ten on the rate of cervical and oral cancer incidences. Among males, lung cancer has emerged as the most frequently diagnosed one in the southern region and metropolitan cities including Bengaluru, Delhi, Chennai and Thiruvananthapuram, according to the analysis that uses data from 43 cancer registries in India.

Nationally India reported an estimated 15.62 lakh cancer cases in 2024 with a mortality figure of over 874,000. This is an increase from 14.6 lakh cases in 2022.

Mizoram’s capital Aizawl tops the chart with an incidence rate of more than 256 cases for every 100,000 males and over 245 cases among the same number of women.

In Bengaluru, the incidence of cancer cases among men is around 125 whereas among women, it is around 140. This puts Bengaluru at the sixth spot on cancer incidences among females, as per the analysis by researchers at Indian Council of Medical Research.

The ICMR’s National Cancer Registry Programme Investigator Group used data from 43 population based cancer registries between 2015 and 2019 to calculate the estimated cancer cases and trends.

Among the registries, 33 are operated by ICMR’s National Centre for Disease Informatics and Research; nine by Tata Memorial Centre and one is managed under the Tamil Nadu Cancer Registry Programme.

The analysis revealed some distinct patterns. Lung cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in southern India and big cities like Visakhapatnam, Bangalore, Chennai, Thiruvananthapuram and Delhi.

A previous study has found patients in India tend to present with lung cancer about a decade earlier than those in western populations, with median age ranging from 54 to 70 years. Additionally, half of the patients were diagnosed with advanced-stage disease.

The new findings indicate that Aizawl, East Khasi Hills, Papumpare, Kamrup Urban, and Mizoram in the Northeast recorded the highest incidence rates of cancer and esophageal cancer was most prevalent. Kerala and Kashmir are the two other regions with high cancer burden.

Delhi recorded an incidence rate (146.7 for males) three times higher than Barshi, a rural site in Maharashtra. This is also consistent with a previous study.

Oral cancer showed significant increases in 14 population-based cancer registries among males and in four registries among females with the maximum rise recorded in Ahmedabad for both sex.

Among males, mouth cancer was the most prevalent followed by lung and prostate while among women it is breast cancer followed by cervical cancer. Srinagar recorded the highest incidence rate for lung cancer.

"The cross-sectional study highlighted significant regional disparities in cancer incidence across India and the increasing cancer burden. The findings provide key insights for policymakers to enhance resource allocation and strengthen cancer control strategies nationwide,” the researchers reported in JAMA Network Open.

India ranks second in Asia and third in the world in the number of cancer cases, and the likelihood of an Indian developing cancer during his/her lifetime is 11%. The Global Cancer Observatory has estimated that the incidence of cancer in India will increase to approximately 25 lakh cases by 2045.