Treatment for Cancer

Key facts

• 7.6 million deaths (around 13% of all deaths) in 2008 due to cancer
• 30% (more than) deaths due to cancer can be prevented
• 11 million deaths in 2030 projected to be due to cancer
• Tobacco use is a major risk factor for cancer.

• In India, 8 lakh new cases/year
• Tobacco-related cancers amenable for primary prevention (48% in men and 20% in women)
• Oral cancers can be diagnosed early and treated successfully
• 13% of cancers in women (uterine cervix) can be screened and prevented
• 9% of cancers in women (breast) can be detected early and treated
• 24 lakh prevalent cases

Projections in India

• Total cancer cases are likely to go up from 979,786 cases in the year 2010 to 1,148,757 cases in the year 2020.
• Tobacco-related cancers for males are estimated to go up from 190,244 in the year 2010 to 225,241 in the year 2020.
• Female cases will go up from 75,289 in year 2010 to 93,563 in the year 2020.

Ageing is a fundamental factor for the development of cancer. The incidence of cancer rises dramatically with age, most likely due to a build-up of risks for specific cancers that increase with age. The overall risk accumulation is combined with the tendency for cellular repair mechanisms to be less effective as a person grows older.

It is estimated that at any given point of time, there are 3 million people suffering from cancer in India. Most of them are elderly people. Some cancers can be prevented through changes in lifestyle and diet and many can be treated when spotted at an early stage of the disease. However – and this is partly because of a poor public health system in the country – very large numbers of cancers are reported too late to benefit from any long term treatment. Death is often preceded by physical and psychological pain and suffering with families and societies standing by helplessly, themselves undergoing emotional pain and multiple hardships.