With more than 1,300 deaths reported every day, cancer in India has become one of the major causes of death. A new analysis submitted by the National Cancer Registry Program (NCRP) of the India Council of Medical Research (ICMR), estimates that cancer mortality rate in the country increased by about six percent from 2012 to 2014.
Statistics showed the total of 4,91,598 people died in 2014 out of 28,20,179 cases, while in 2013 it was 4,78,180 deaths out of 29,34,314 cases, and in 2012, around 4,65,169 people lost their lives due to the disease out of 30,16,628 cases.
"In India, large number of ageing population, unhealthy lifestyles and diets, use of tobacco and tobacco products, lack of diagnostic facilities, are some of the factors that have attributed to increase in the number of cancer deaths," the official said.
The government has approved a scheme in the year 2013-14 to enhance the specialized consultative care for cancer and circulate the guidelines to strengthen the facilities around various states by January 2014.
The second highest number of deaths occurred in the country is caused by TB with 63,265 casualties in 2011, 61,887 in 2012, and 57,095 in 2013, as per records of the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Program (RNTCP). Under the program, the government, provided cost free diagnosis and treatment facilities including anti-TB drugs to patients.
"We have established designated microscopy centers for quality diagnosis of over one lakh population in the rural and urban areas and 50,000 population in the tribal, hilly and difficult areas. There are 13,000 microscopy centers in the country and more than six lakh directly observed treatment centers," the official said.
Government officials said that they have started working to improve various health care services and infrastructure especially for cancer patients.
