Increase in number of cancer deaths among women: ICMR

New Delhi, November 08, 2016: (UNI) There has been a steady increase in deaths due to cancer among women over the past few years in the country.

From 39,234 beast cancer related deaths in 2012, the number of such deaths rose to 40,509 the next year and totalled 41,851 in 2014, official statistics show.

However, ICMR projects that within the next three years, the number of new cancer cases in India will increase by leaps and bounds to more than 17 lakh new cases by 2020.

As reported by the Indian Council for Medical Research, the rise in number of cancer deaths due to breast cancer among women during the 2012-2014 in both urban and rural areas is being attributed to a larger ageing population, unhealthy lifestyle, use of tobacco and tobacco products among others.

While early screening and awareness about breast cancer has made a difference in cancer detection, experts blame difference of opinion over treatment and prevention has stymied the treatment of cervical cancer cases.

Unfortunately, despite the availability of a vaccine to prevent cervical cancer, patients are either unaware about it or deterred by the high cost and effectiveness.

But more women die of cervical cancer than breast cancer in India.

Over 62,000 women died of cervical cancer in 2015, accounting for a sizeable 24 per cent of the total cancer-related deaths of women in India, latest estimates by ICMR show.

The Central Government which supplements the efforts of the State Government for improving healthcare including prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer being implemented under National Health Mission (NHM) for interventions upto the district level, primarily focuses on three types of cancer, namely breast, cervical and oral cancer.

The treatment for cancer in government hospitals is either free or subsidised.

In addition to cancer diagnosis and treatment by the state governments health institutes, the Central Government Institutions such as All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Safdurjung Hospital, Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, PGIMER Chandigarh, JIPMER Puducherry, Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute, Kolkata, etc provide facilities for diagnosis and treatment of the disease. –United News of India