India: Nearly a third of cancers linked to tobacco in 2020

The National Cancer Registry of India (NCRI), in its report published on August 18, 2020, confirms the health and social burden of smoking-related cancers since in this country 27% cases of cancer are directly linked to tobacco consumption.

The report is based on data from 2012 to 2016 obtained from 28 cancer registries for the general population and 58 registries for hospitals. An increase in the number of 12 TP3T cases is expected by 2025. These cancers, linked to the consumption of all forms of tobacco, were most common in the northeast of the country and among men.

In men, the most common locations are the lungs, mouth, esophagus, and stomach; in women, the breast and cervix. According to Dr. Mehul Bhansali, head of surgical oncology at Jaslok Hospital & Research Center, the rapid increase in the incidence of breast cancer in women is linked to tobacco and alcohol consumption.

Earlier this year, a WHO report[1] had already revealed the burden of all cancers in India with 1.16 million new cases in 2018; one in 10 Indians will develop cancer during their lifetime and one in 15 will die from it.

According to the WHO, the largest increase in new cancer cases—approximately 81%—will occur in low- and middle-income countries, where survival rates are currently lowest. This is because these countries have limited health resources, which are primarily used to combat infectious diseases and improve maternal and child health. Furthermore, health services in these countries are poorly equipped to prevent, diagnose, and treat cancers. Controlling tobacco use is an effective strategy for preventing new cases of cancer and, more generally, noncommunicable diseases.