Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) initiated National Cancer Registry Programme and the National Cancer Control Programme of the Government of India in their population based analysis indicate an organ specific incidence with reference to certain states in the country.

For instance in the case of Esophageal cancer is known to show-up in four states in the country. These include two southern states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and western India’s Maharashtra and Gujarat.

In the Stomach cancers, Southern India has shown up with the highest incidence in Chennai. Kerala accounts for the largest number of oral and thyroid cancers patients from south India. In fact, Kerala has been listed to report the highest number of cases of thyroid cancers among women.  Pharyngeal cancers are more in Mumbai according to observation made across western India. In the case of gall bladder cancer, northern India, particularly Delhi and West Bengal account for the largest number of patients.

A team of medical scientists from ICMR are of the view that overall occurrence of cancer is increasing among females. The increase among females was for cancer of the breast and among males it is for cancer of the prostate.

There was an increasing trend for lymphoma, urinary bladder, gall bladder and brain tumours in both sexes. Cancer of the colon was increasing in females and that of the kidney in males. Esophageal and stomach cancers were decreasing in both sexes. Cervical cancer showed a decreasing trend, they said.

“We have seen rise of liver cancer, head and neck cancer, lung and prostate cancer. These are age related and smoking related. Expected increase in age and smoking. With the access to advanced targeted therapies along with   newer diagnostic and radiation technique, these cancers could be controlled if patients approached hospitals early,” Dr Amit Agarwal, senior consultant medical oncologist, Fortis Noida.

A panel of experts from ICMR also stated that if epidemiological assessments over the years indicated that 80-90 per cent of all cancers were attributed to environmental factors of which, lifestyle related factors are the most important and preventable. The major risk factors for cancer are tobacco, alcohol consumption, infections, dietary habits and behavioural factors. Following tobacco consumption, patterns involving chewing or smoking accounted for 50 per cent of all cancers in men.

Dietary practices, reproductive and sexual practices account for 20-30 per cent of cancers. Studies have shown that appropriate changes in lifestyle will reduce the mortality and morbidity caused to cancer 11. This offers the prospect for initiating primary and secondary prevention measures for control and prevention of cancers.