India’s first consolidated cancer registry data covering 2015 to 2019 has exposed a disturbing truth: more women are being diagnosed with cancer than men, yet men continue to die in higher numbers. The findings not only highlight deep flaws in early detection and treatment but also expose shocking regional disparities that governments can no longer afford to ignore.
The data makes it clear—women form 51.1% of cancer cases, but only 45% of deaths. Men, on the other hand, record fewer cases but shoulder a heavier mortality burden. Why? The answer is not complicated. Women’s cancers like breast and cervical are finally receiving some attention through screening drives, while men’s cancers—particularly oral—are left unchecked until it’s too late. This is the price of years of weak preventive healthcare and misplaced priorities.
The study confirms what public health experts have been warning about for decades: oral cancer has overtaken lung cancer as the most common cancer among Indian men. The blame lies squarely on the unchecked tobacco industry and a government unwilling to enforce stricter regulations. From cheap gutkha packets to widespread bidi consumption, the market thrives while men pay with their lives. Without strong action against tobacco use, the numbers will only worsen.
The data also points to a glaring injustice—the northeastern states remain the epicenter of India’s cancer crisis. Mizoram’s Aizawl tops the charts for both men and women, followed closely by Khasi Hills, Papum Pare, and Kamrup Urban. These regions are not only battling high tobacco and alcohol consumption but are also victims of gross neglect in healthcare infrastructure. Cancer hospitals and treatment centers remain scarce, forcing patients to travel hundreds of kilometers for care—by which time it is often too late.
The numbers are frightening. By 2024, India is expected to record 15.6 lakh new cases and 8.74 lakh deaths. That’s nearly nine lakh lives lost in a single year. The lifetime risk now stands at 11%, meaning one in every nine Indians will face cancer. Despite these projections, cancer still does not receive the same urgency in policy or funding as infectious diseases or headline-making epidemics.
The study also shows stark inequalities. While Kashmir, Prayagraj, and Thiruvananthapuram record relatively lower incidence rates, the northeast is drowning in cases. This uneven picture reflects not only different lifestyles but also decades of uneven healthcare investment. For a disease where early diagnosis can save lives, this inequality translates directly into deaths.
The data should be a wake-up call. Cancer is not a slow-moving threat anymore; it is a national emergency in the making. Yet, governments at both the Centre and in the states continue to treat it as a secondary issue. What India needs is:
Nationwide early screening programs for oral, breast, and cervical cancers.
Strict action against the tobacco industry, whose products are fueling the rise in oral cancers.
Massive investment in cancer treatment centers, especially in underserved regions like the northeast.
Public education campaigns that don’t just stay on paper but reach every village and every school.
With nearly nine lakh deaths projected in 2024, the cancer crisis is no longer about numbers on paper—it is about lives being lost daily while the system looks the other way. India cannot afford complacency. The registry data has handed policymakers the evidence on a platter. What remains to be seen is whether those in power will act decisively—or allow cancer to silently tighten its grip on millions more.