The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science, Technology, and Environment recently submitted a report to Venkaiah Naidu, the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, concerning an expanded role for the Department of Atomic Energy in addressing India’s rising cancer burden. This article explores the key highlights of the report and presents an overview of its recommendations.
Inadequate Infrastructure
According to the report, India’s current cancer care infrastructure is highly inadequate, a situation which necessitates a majority of patients to travel extensive distances for treatment. The lack of robust infrastructure fails to address the needs of patients appropriately, contributing to a 20% higher mortality rate among Indian cancer patients compared to those in countries with a high Human Development Index (HDI).
Mortality to Incidence Ratio
In India, the Mortality to Incidence Ratio stands at 0.68, which is significantly higher than that of very high HDI countries (0.38) and high HDI countries (0.57). This statistic signifies that the country’s inadequate health infrastructure not only fails to cater to the needs of patients but also contributes to a higher number of deaths among cancer patients.
Cancer Incidence Rate in India
Annually, about 16 lakh new cases of cancer are diagnosed in India. Approximately 8 lakh people succumb to cancer each year. In women, breast cancer presents the most frequently with 140,000 cases, followed by cervical cancer (100,000 cases), and oral cancer (45,000 cases). In men, the top three types of cancer are oral cavity cancer (1,38,000 cases), pharynx cancer (90,000 cases), and gastrointestinal tract cancer (2,00,000 cases).
| Cancer Type | Cases in Women | Cases in Men |
|---|---|---|
| Breast Cancer | 140,000 | N/A |
| Cervical Cancer | 100,000 | N/A |
| Oral Cancer | 45,000 | 1,38,000 |
Geographical Distribution
The incidence of cancer is notably high in all North Eastern States of India, surpassing the national average for several types of cancer. Over the past few decades, a consistent increase has been observed. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) anticipates that cancer deaths in India will surge from approximately 8.8 lakh in 2018 to 13 lakh by 2035.
National Cancer Grid
The report emphasizes the importance of the National Cancer Grid (NCG), India’s principal center for cancer treatment. The NCG treats over 7,00,000 new cases of cancer each year and is a network that includes major cancer centers, research institutes, patient groups, and charitable institutions across India.
International Agency for Research on Cancer
The IARC was founded under a resolution of the World Health Assembly in 1965 as the specialized cancer agency of the World Health Organization. The idea behind the formation of IARC was to facilitate international collaboration in cancer research. Currently, the IARC comprises of 27 member countries, including India. The headquarters of the IARC is in Lyon, France.
Recommendations
The report suggests the implementation of a Hub and Spoke Model to improve accessibility and cater to cancer patients nationally. This model entails a network of centers (or hubs) that are capable of treating complex forms of cancer. These hubs would connect with other centers (spokes) that can treat less complex variants of cancers. The primary aim is to ease access and reduce travel time for patients. In an ideal scenario, a hub would serve about 4 crore patients, and a spoke would cater to between 50 lakh-1 crore patients annually. This model is already in practice in Punjab.
