NEW DELHI: The daycare cancer centres being planned by the govt in all 759 districts of the country will be four to six bedded facilities, which will mainly provide chemotherapy services. Essential medication and biopsy may also be made available at these centres.
Top officials in the Union health ministry said these centres will also be utilised for screening high-risk individuals for common cancers.
“We have already begun discussions with states to identify district hospitals where these facilities can be started,” said a health official, adding that the govt initiative is aimed at ensuring easy accessibility to cancer care and affordability. “We plan to establish 200 daycare cancer centres in the current financial year itself,” she added.
In 2022, India had more than 14.1 lakh fresh cancer cases and over 9.1 lakh deaths due to the disease. According to data on prevalence of cancer globally released by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) last year, the risk of a person developing cancer before the age of 75 in India is 10.6%, nearly one-third of the corresponding figure for the United States (34.3%) and Canada (32.2%). However, when it comes to death risk, Indians are equally vulnerable.
The risk of dying from cancer before the age of 75 in India is 7.2% while the corresponding figure for both the US and Canada is 8.8%, according to IARC data.
Recently, head of Union for International Cancer Control, Dr Cary Adams, had said despite the progress made in the early detection of cancers and the treatment and care of cancer patients, significant disparities in cancer treatment outcomes exist not only between high-and low-income regions of the world but also within countries.
“Where someone lives should not determine whether they live. Tools exist to enable govts to prioritise cancer care, and to ensure that each have access to affordable, quality services. This is not a resource issue, but a matter of political will,” Dr Adams was quoted as saying in a statement issued by IARC.
IARC has predicted 35 million new cancer cases in 2050, increase of 77% from estimated 20 million cases in 2022.
WHO’s cancer agency said globally, the rapidly growing cancer burden reflected both population ageing & growth, along with changes in people’s exposure to risk factors, several of which are associated with socio-economic development. Tobacco, alcohol, & obesity were key factors behind the increasing incidence of cancer, with air pollution still a key driver of environmental risk factors, it said.
